The Heart of the Cards A Pokemon TCG Adventure
by IcySapphire
Summary: Ash and co. have arrived in Titian City, home of the world famous Pokemon Dome. Can he prove his skills and win four Legendary Cards? Please read, review, and enjoy!
1. The Heart of the Cards, part 1

The Heart of the Cards, part 1: Welcome to Titian City!

"Goodness, how much further do we have to go?" Misty complained as she wiped the sweat from her forehead. "It's boiling hot, my feet hurt, and I'm thirsty!" She hurried over into a grassy field and sat down in the grass nearby a stream. "Can we pul-lease stop and rest?" she begged, undoing her sandals and dipping her toes in the water.

"I'm hot too, but it's too early to stop and rest." Brock assured Misty as he fanned himself with his map. "Besides, we only set out an hour ago, and it's 11:30 now."

"An hour???" Misty cried. "It feels like we've been walking for a day!" No sooner had she said this, a huge splash of water stung her face. "What the..." She rubbed the water out of her eyes only to discover Ash standing nearby, laughing with delight. "Geez, Ash, what was that for?" she asked, exasperated.

"You said you were hot, so I figured that would cool you off!" Ash replied, still giggling at the sight of a soaked Misty.

"Oooooh...." Misty stomped over to Ash and rolled up her sleeves. "I'm gonna cool YOU off as payback for doing that!" With that, she pushed Ash into the water with a splash.

"Pika pi..." Pikachu looked down into the stream for any sign of Ash, but all he could see was the bubbling, foaming water. "Pikapi!" he called again, hoping for an answer. After a few seconds, Ash emerged from the water, coughing and sputtering. "Pikapi!"

Ash coughed a few times. "I'm all right, Pikachu...it's just that I couldn't see you very well, and I couldn't hold my breath very much longer." He blew a stream of water from his mouth and coughed some more.

"Here..." Brock ran over and threw a towel around Ash. "There you go...we can at least sit here and let you dry off...it's too hot to be traveling right now, anyway...." He leaned back against a tree and began to set out food.

"Food!" Misty ran over and helped herself to a sandwich. "I was getting hungry, anyway!"

"Help yourself, there's plenty for everyone." Brock assured her. He continued to study his map as the others ate.

---------

"...we climb up this hill, and there it is: Titian City." Brock explained as he showed the others his planned route. "We should get there by sundown."

"Sundown?" Misty complained. "Why did you have to pick the long way there?"

"So? What's wrong with enjoying nature as we travel?" Brock asked. "There's lots of nice views out this way..."

"The only view I want to see right now is Titian City...I'm tired of all this walking!" Misty sighed as the group got back on the main path.

"Well, if you're bored, we can always sing a song!" Ash suggested. He began to sing as he skipped ahead of the others. _"We're on the one road, sharing the one load, we're on the road to who-knows-where...We're on the one road, maybe the wrong road...but we're together, so who cares? North wind, south wind, take us all! Kanto, Johto, Houen, through it all! We're on the one road, swingin along! Singing a trainer's song!"_

"_We have had our quarrels now and then..."_ Brock chimed in. _"Now's the time to make them up again! Why we're going, and where, I don't know how...but we've got to stick together, now!..."_

_"We're on the one road, sharing the one load, we're on the road to who-knows-where..." Ash led the others into the chorus. "We're on the one road, maybe the wrong road...but we're together, so who cares? North wind, south wind, take us all! Kanto, Johto, Houen, through it all! We're on the one road, swingin along! Singing a trainer's song!"......_

--------

_"...We're on the one road, sharing the one load, we're on the road to who-knows-where..."_ Ash continued to sing as the group trudged up a hill.

"Uh, Ash? We're actually on the road to Titian City." Brock explained, pointing out the marked place on his map.

"So? It's only a part of the song!" Ash protested.

"We've been hearing you sing that for the last hour." Misty complained. "Can't we sing something else?"

"Well, there's always '99 Bottles of Juice on the Wall'!" Brock suggested.

"NO!" Misty screamed. "ANYTHING but that!"

"Let's just talk for a while, okay?" Ash sighed. "I ran out of songs an hour ago..."

"Why are we going to Titian City, again?" Misty asked. Everyone looked at Brock, eager for the answer.

"Titian City is well known for its card players..." Brock explained, "so millions of people come to Pokemon Dome to watch the tournaments and get tips on their decks from the card masters."

"Pokemon cards?" Ash was curious.

"Here, I'll show you a few." Brock unzipped his pack and got out a small tin with a picture of a Geodude on the top. He opened the tin, got out the deck inside, and fanned out the cards before Misty and Ash. "What do you think?"

"Pika!" Pikachu hopped onto Ash's shoulder and looked at the cards, interested in the beautiful pictures. Suddenly, he grabbed a Pikachu lv. 14 card out of Brock's deck. "Pikapi, Pikachu!" he announced, displaying the card to Ash.

"I see..." Ash replied. "I'd really like to learn to play with those cards..."

"Well, there just so happens to be a tournament taking place this week, so you may just get your wish!" Brock smiled. He took the card Pikachu was holding and put it back in the deck, then put the deck away. "We should be getting there any moment now..."

"There it is!" Misty cried, pointing out the city in the distance. "Come on! Last one there's a rotten Exeggute!" Ash, Brock and Pikachu hurried to keep up with Misty as she raced down the hill.

---------

"Wow..." Ash gasped as he looked around the city and watched the people rush about. "This place is huge! Wonder where Pokemon Dome is?"

"Try looking at that sign right there." Misty sighed as she pointed out a sign that read POKEMON DOME-THIS WAY. A large building with a rounded red roof--making it look somewhat like a Poke Ball--loomed in the distance.

"Oh..." Ash noted. With that, the group walked towards the giant red dome and went inside.

---------

"Goodness...this place is like a maze!" Misty gasped as the group wandered down the lush carpeted halls of Pokemon Dome. "Wonder who you need to ask if you want to join tournaments?"

"Hey, look!" Brock pointed out an information desk that was nearby a lounge. "We can ask over there!"

"Good idea!" Misty suggested as the group got in line.

After a few minutes, Ash and the group approached the information desk. "Hi. Where can I get training in the Pokemon card game?" Ash asked.

The clerk presented Ash with some papers and a pen. "Just fill out these papers and I'll let one of our card masters know you wish to be taught how to play the card game. If you have questions about anything on the form, just ask." With that, he turned to attend to the next person in line.

"Boy, talk about service with a smile!" Brock complained as the group walked over to the lounge and got comfortable. "You'd think they'd at least be nice, but no...we have to be treated to..." and he begin a dry impression of the clerk. "'Just fill out these papers and I'll let one of our card masters know you wish to be taught how to play the card game. If you have questions about anything on the form, just ask. Wow, I'm like, really excited.'" Misty just laughed at Brock's impression.

"That was pretty good, Brock!" Ash chuckled.

"Thank you..." Brock replied in his 'boring clerk' voice, causing some people to laugh.

"Let's see here..." Ash studied the first form. "General information...Number of years training, 4...number of badges earned...28...number of Pokemon caught...have they won any contests, no...." Misty sighed as Ash continued to work.

---------

After several hours, Ash returned to the desk with the now completed papers. "Here you go."

"Thank you very much." the clerk replied, taking the papers and pen from Ash. "Take a seat over there and your card master will be with you shortly." The group then trudged back to the lounge and got comfortable.

Misty sighed as the others sat down. "All that just to get someone to teach you to play? If they treat the others like this, I have a feeling we'll be here for a long time!"

"The card masters here must have thousands of others to teach, I guess..." Brock mused. "I hope Ash gets one that knows her game as well as her looks..." He sighed, daydreaming of what their card master might look like.

"Easy, Brock..." Misty giggled. "We don't even know who it is yet!" Brock just sighed and watched the clouds pass by through the clear glass ceiling.

---------

After several hours, the lounge had cleared out except for the group. Misty was reading a magazine, Brock was carving a piece of wood with a pocketknife, apparently shaping it into a form of a whistle, and Ash was relaxed in his chair, asleep. Every so often, he'd open an eye to watch passersby, watch Brock carve his instrument, or check on Pikachu, then go back to sleep again.

"Nothing interesting in this one..." Misty set down her finished magazine, and opted to watch Brock for a while. "What is that?" she asked, curious as she watched Brock sharpen one end into a mouthpiece.

"When it's done, it'll be a whistle." Brock explained. "This isn't the kind that referees use, it's more like a small flute." He proceeded to drill finger holes as Misty watched, interested. "There. Now to see if I can get a note out of this..." Next, he covered the top two fingerholes and blew, making the note "A".

"Pika, pi ka!" Pikachu begged.

'Well, I've got to figure out the rest of the notes before I can play a song!" Brock assured Pikachu.

"Whatever song you play, keep it soft so you don't wake Ash up." Misty suggested as Brock experimented with other fingerings.

"I'll play something nice and slow...and blow very easily on the high notes..." and Brock started a soft, but haunting melody--one that Misty recognized as one of her favorites: _Lake of the Dreamer_.

Pikachu suddenly heard footsteps coming down the hall. "Pika!" he announced, interrupting Brock's song and waking Ash up from a nap.

"Unggh..." Ash stretched and quickly sat up in his chair as a young girl with brown hair clad in a rainbow colored shirt and jeans entered the room.

She approached Ash and knelt before him. "Hi! You must be Ash, right?"

"I am." Ash replied.

"Come with me, please." the girl replied, starting down the hall.

Ash stood up to follow, but turned back to look at his friends. "Can my friends come too?"

"Of course they can!" the girl assured Ash. "We'll go to the first room on the left." With that, the group followed the girl down the hall into a room filled with posters on the walls. A table with a row of deck tins stood in the center of the room, surrounded by chairs. Ash and the girl sat across from each other at the table, while Misty and Brock opted to sit in two nearby chairs.

"Okay...allow me to introduce myself." the girl began. "I am Maya Nijiiro. If you watch the tounaments a lot, you might know me as the 'Legendary Rainbow.'

"Legendary Rainbow? Where did you earn that nickname?" Ash asked.

"Well, part of it you might have guessed from my clothing..." Maya began. "and the legendary part comes from my skill at the game. I'm glad you've decided to let me share my skills with you."

"I'm looking forward to learning." Ash replied. "When do we start?"

"Well, first off, you have to have a deck before I can teach you." Maya gestured to the row of deck tins. "Pick a deck from the rack, and we'll begin."

"Let's see..." Ash glanced over the five tins in the deck rack. The first one depicted a flowing river and a Hitmonchan, with the words 'Raging River' underneath it. Three of the other tins depicted the three Houen starters: Treecko, Torchic, and Mudkip. "The Torchic deck reminds me of May, and the Treecko of my own Houen Pokemon. But which one should I choose?" he thought as he continued to study the tins. The deck on the end, a tin with a Pikachu on it, also caught his interest "I wonder what the Pikachu deck has in it...but I'd rather choose between two decks rather than three...."

Maya noticed Ash was studying each deck very carefully. "Need some help deciding?" she asked.

"I can't decide between the Treecko deck or the Torchic deck." Ash replied. "Which one do you think I should pick?"

"The Torchic deck has some good starters, but the Treecko deck is a little more balanced, and a balanced deck is usually a winning deck." Maya replied.

"Okay...I'll take...Treecko!" Ash grabbed the Treecko tin from the rack.

"'Treecko and Friends' it is!" Maya replied. "Now, I'll show you the different cards and what they do as we have a practice duel...." She led the group into a large, open arena. In the center was a pale blue floor, where the duels played out. At each end of the floor were two platforms, one red with a circle of rubies in the center; the other blue with a circle of sapphires in the center. "Ash, step up to the blue platform." Maya instructed as she stepped up to the red platform.

"Good luck, Ash!" Misty called as Ash took his place at his platform and waited for Maya's instructions...

How will Ash's first trading card duel play out? Stay Tuned!


	2. The Heart of the ards, part 2: Rule the ...

_Last time on "Pokemon: The Heart of the Cards"...._

_Ash and friends have arrived in Titian City, home of Pokemon cards and the legendary Pokemon Dome! After receiving a Treecko and Friends deck, he stands ready for his first duel--a practice match against Maya Nijiiro, the "Legendary Rainbow"! Will Ash prove his potential in this first duel, or will the "Legendary Rainbow" continue to shine?_

The Heart of the Cards, part 2: Rule The Duel!

Ash looked down at the platform, confused as to what all the different areas meant. The main platform was the largest area, with a place to put the deck in the top right hand corner. Below the main area was a rack, with an area marked 'BENCH' next to it. "Maya, what do all these areas on the platform do?" he asked.

"I'll explain what they're used for as we duel, okay?" Maya assured Ash. "Keep in mind that while this is only practice, I'm telling you the same rules you follow in a real duel, okay?"

"Uh...okay..." Ash stammered. "I'm ready when you are." At this, the scoreboard blipped to life: RUBY: 0 0 0 60 0 SAPPHIRE 0 0 0 60 0 RUBY PSYCHIC SHOCKER! SAPPHIRE TREECKO AND FRIENDS

"Now...before we begin, we shuffle each other's decks." Maya explained. as both decks floated out of their tins and onto the opposite platform.

Ash took Maya's deck, carefully split the deck in two halves of 30 cards each, and shuffled the two halves together. He repeated this process three more times, and set the deck back on the deck holder. "There you go."

"Here's yours." Maya replied. The two decks returned to their owners. "Next, we each draw seven cards and add them to the rack below the main play area. This is your hand." With that she drew seven cards for herself and put them on the rack. The scoreboard changed the Ruby side to read '7 0 0 53 0'. Ash did the same, and his side also read '7 0 0 53 0'.

"Question...what does the '7 0 0 53 0' on the scoreboard mean?" Ash asked.

"Those numbers are, in order: your hand, your Bench Pokemon, number of prizes remaining, number of cards remaining, and combined HP of all the Pokemon you have." Maya explained. "You lose the duel under the following conditions: you run out of Pokemon or cards, your opponent takes all the prizes, or your HP reaches 0."

Ash swallowed hard at the thought of losing. "I've come all this way to learn to play with these cards...and I certainly wouldn't be a good duelist if I lost every time...." "Okay...so now what?" he asked.

"Pick a Basic Pokemon from your hand and put it face down in the main play area, please." Maya instructed.

"'Basic' Pokemon?" Ash was confused.

"A Basic Pokemon is the only kind of card that can be put into play at the

beginning of a match. They are unevolved and usually are able to attack

quickly." Maya explained. "You can then attach Energy to it, attack with it, or evolve it with an Evolution card."

"Energy?" Ash was even more confused.

"Energy cards are attached to your Pokemon, once per turn, to make them attack or retreat." Maya continued. "You should have some in your hand."

"Like this one?" Ash waved a Grass Energy card in the air.

"Yeah, like that one!" Maya laughed.

"Okay..." Ash grabbed the first card out of his hand and placed it face down. "Now what?"

"If you have any other Basic Pokemon in your hand, you may put them on the Bench." Maya explained as two benches appeared nearby the platforms.

Ash selected three more cards and put them on the Bench section of the play area. The same cards also appeared on the nearby bench. "Can attacks hurt Bench Pokemon?" he asked.

"Not unless the Active Pokemon--the one you have facedown--uses an attack that can." Maya explained as the scoreboard changed to display 'RUBY 4 2 0 53 150 SAPPHIRE 3 3 0 53 180' "Now we need to place the prizes--the reward cards you get when you knock out a Pokemon. For the purpose of this duel, we'll have four prizes."

With that, Ash picked four cards out of his deck and put them in the Prize section of his play area, updating his stats to 'SAPPHIRE 3 3 4 48 180' "All ready!" he told Maya.

"Okay then, it's time for the coin toss!" Maya called. "Anyone good at flipping coins?"

"I'll do it!" Brock volunteered, moving his chair to a place close to the middle of the arena and digging out a coin from his pocket. He showed Maya the coin. "This is heads..." he explained, showing the side with a Pikachu face on it. "...this is tails." he displayed the blank side.

"That will be fine." Maya replied.

"Okay...heads, Sapphire goes first, tails, Ruby goes first..." Brock explained, flipping the coin.

"Tails..." Maya called the toss.

"It's heads. Sapphire goes first." Brock announced.

Ash flipped up his face down card: Treecko lv. 14. At the same time, a live Treecko appeared in the arena. "Treecko!" it cried.

"Wow!" Ash gasped as he admired the little Treecko. "I didn't know the Pokemon were supposed to come to life!"

"The cards you have come alive when you put them in the active area, and return to the form of a card when they are knocked out." Maya explained as she flipped up her active card: Ralts lv. 12.

"Oh..." Ash replied, obviously impressed as a live Ralts faced his Treecko.

"Here's what you can do on a turn." Maya explained. "Draw a card from your deck. If it's a Basic Pokemon, you have the option of adding it to your Bench."

Ash took this tip to heart as he drew a card: Wingull lv. 11. He added that to his Bench, boosting his HP to 240, and attached a Grass Energy card to his Treecko, which glowed a soft green color as the energy flowed into it. "Okay, Treecko...Tail Slap!" Ash commanded.

"Treee-Cko!" the Treecko replied as it slammed its tail into the Ralts, knocking it backwards. Maya's HP went down by ten.

"Ruby's turn!" Brock announced, obviously enjoying his new job of referee.

Maya attached a Psychic Energy card to her Ralts, causing it to glow purple for a few seconds. "Ralts, Headbutt!" she called. The Ralts obediently lowered its head and charged into the Treecko. Ash's HP went down by ten.

"Sapphire's turn!" Brock called.

"Must we give a running commentary of every little teeny tiny detail?" Misty asked, exasperated.

"I'm okay with it." Maya assured Misty. "In fact, the refs call the matches that way too."

"You think I'd make a good referee?" Brock asked Pikachu.

Pikachu pictured Brock clad in a traditional zebra-stripe referee uniform, complete with a whistle, coin and clipboard. "Pika, pika pi, pika chu!" he replied with a giggle.

"He thinks I need a whistle and a clipboard." Brock told Misty. "I already have my own whistle...." he explained, digging his own whistle out of his bag and putting it around his neck.

"But where do you have a clipboard, Mr. Carry-all?" Misty asked sarcastically.

"Uh..." Brock gasped, obviously embarrassed. Pikachu and Togepi laughed with delight.

Meanwhile, Ash attached another Grass Energy card and a Pluspower card to his Treecko. "Now, Treecko, Razor Leaf!"

"Tree!!!!" The Treecko cried, hurling a barrage of leaves at the Ralts. The Ralts faded into the form of a card, which floated out of the arena into Maya's discard.

Just then, a whistle made Ash jump. "Sapphire, select a prize!" Brock announced.

"Hey, Brock, where'd you get the whistle?" Ash asked.

"I always carry one for emergencies. Now, pick a prize." Brock replied as Ash's prizes appeared before him. He selected the top left one and looked at it: Wurmple lv. 10. He put that on his bench, giving his HP another boost to 280.

"Ruby, select a Pokemon!" Brock announced.

"Okay...go for it, Electrike!" Maya called, placing an Electrike lv. 14 into the arena.

"Ruby's turn!" Brock called, making a few notes on both sides' stats.

Next, Maya attached a Lightning Energy card and a Defender card to Electrike, then ended her turn.

"Sapphire's turn!" Brock called as he finished making out a scoreboard chart for himself.

Ash drew another Trainer card-Potion. "I think I might need this..." he thought as he slipped the card into his hand. "Treecko, Razor Leaf!" he commanded. The Treecko fired another round of leaves, but the attack was blocked by a blue shield. "Trike! Ele!" the Electrike taunted.

"Ruby's turn!"

Maya attacked a Fighting Energy card to Electrike. "Electrike, Thunder Jolt!" she commanded.

Brock blew a short blast with the whistle, getting everyone's attention. "Coin toss! If tails, Ruby is hit with recoil!"

Ash swallowed hard as the coin went up in the air. He had a feeling that he was about to lose his early advantage...

"Heads.." Maya called the toss. Sure enough, the coin came up heads.

"Trike!!!" The Electrike fired a thunderbolt at the Treecko, making it collapse.

"NOOOO!!!" Ash cried as his Treecko card reappeared in his discard pile.

"Ruby, select a prize!" Brock called as Maya's prizes appeared in front of her.

"Now we're even at three prizes each. This isn't as easy as it looks, is it?" Maya asked as she drew one of her prizes.

"I guess not, but I wil try and win!" Ash replied. "I want to become a great Card Master, like you!"

"You do?" Maya smiled. "Consider this duel a time to learn...and so far, you're doing very well..."

"Besides I still have the advantage in HP!" Ash announced, gesturing to the scoreboard, which displayed "RUBY 5 1 3 45 110 SAPPHIRE 4 4 3 44 250". With that, he placed a Pikachu lv. 16 card in the arena. "Pikachu, I choose you!" Next, he quickly attached a Lightning Energy and a Defender to his Pikachu. "Pikachu, Scratch!" he commanded.

The Pikachu ran up to the Electrike and scratched it in the stomach. The Electrike jerked back in pain as Maya's HP went down by 10, leaving her at 100 HP.

"Ruby's turn!" Brock announced.

Maya drew a Full Heal card and opted to save it. "Just in case..." she thought. "Electrike, Thunder Jolt!" she commanded.

Brock blew the whistle again, signaling a coin toss. Everyone watched as the coin went up in the air. Ash, however, smiled with confidence_."Since I have a Defender in play, Electrike's Thunder Jolt will have no effect on my Pikachu!"_ he thought. "Tails!" he called the toss.

"Sapphire wins the toss!" Brock announced. Maya watched in horror as her Electrike's attack bounced off the blue shield surrounding the Pikachu, shocking the Electrike back and causing Maya's HP to go down to 90.

"Sapphire's turn!" Brock announced.

Ash attached another Lightning Energy to Pikachu, then drew his next card: a Fire Energy. He attached that to the Cyndaquil on his bench, then made his move: "Scratch, Pikachu!"

The Pikachu skittered up to the Electrike and scratched it in the face. Maya's HP now stood at 80.

"Ruby's turn!" Brock called.

Maya attached another Lightning Energy to Electrike. "Thunder Jolt!" she commanded, motioning to Brock for the coin toss. The coin went up....and landed on heads.

Ash gasped as the Electrike's attack shocked the Pikachu, making his HP go down to 250. He sighed as Brock called "Sapphire's turn!", and drew his next card: Raichu lv. 31! He quickly overlaid that on top of the Pikachu card, boosting his HP to 290.

The Pikachu disappeared in a flash of light and a Raichu stood in its place. "Raichu!" it taunted.

"Raichu, Thundershock!" Ash commanded. But his command was interrupted by the tell-tale whistle. He knew what that meant: Coin toss!

"If heads, Ruby is paralyzed!" Brock announced. With that, the coin went up...

"Heads!" Ash called the toss. "Oh please...oh please..." he begged. Thankfully, the coin came up heads!

"Chu!" The Raichu unleashed a thunderbolt, bringing Maya's HP down to 60.

"Ruby's turn!" Brock announced.

"You're doing well so far, but do you think your Raichu can handle my favorite card?" Maya asked, displaying a Manetric lv. 30 card to Ash.

"Bring it on!" Ash cried.

"Okay...two can play at this game!" With that, Maya overlaid the card over the Electrike card, and the Electrike disappeared in a flash of light, leaving a Manetric in its place. The move also boosted Maya's HP to 80.

Ash swallowed hard. Had he overstepped his bounds? Was he fixing to lose and blow his chances of competing in a trading card tournament?

Will Ash pull through and win? Stay tuned!


	3. The Heart of the Cards, part 3: A Firey ...

_Last time on "Pokemon: The Heart of the Cards"..._

_As Ash and Maya continue to duel, Maya uses her quick wits to send Ash's current card into the red zone. But a well timed evolution saves Ash from losing another card! However, Maya also has an evolution up her sleeve, and she knows Manetric can take out Raichu any day! Ash is going to have to give it all he's got if he hopes to prove his potential as a trading card duelist! Can he somehow pull off a victory? Does a tournament lie in Ash's future? Find out!_

The Heart of the Cards, part 3: A Firey Finish!

"Still want to continue, Ash?" Maya asked. "You can withdraw, you know..."

"No! I wasn't born yesterday!" Ash replied. "Besides, I still have the advantage in HP!

"We'll see who has the advantage after I make this move! Manetric! Thundershock!"

Ash gritted his teeth as his HP went down to 260. "This is it..." he thought, hanging his head in despair. "If I lose Raichu, Maya will probably shock all my other Pokemon too..."

"Ash! Don't give up now!" Misty called. "You still have a chance!"

Suddenly, Ash realized he still had a Potion card from earlier._ "Oh, I nearly forgot about this!"_ he thought as he attached the last Lightning Energy in his hand to Raichu. He quickly put down the Potion, and small bottle appeared before his Raichu. The Raichu drank the entire bottle down, giving Ash's HP a slight boost to 280. "Feeling better?" Ash asked.

"Rai..." the Raichu replied with a smile.

"Great!" Ash replied. "Now, use Lightning Strike!"

"CHUUU!!!" The Raichu fired a huge thunderbolt at the Manetric, returning it to Maya's discard. Maya's HP remained at 50.

Ash smiled as he heard Brock blow the whistle. _"Yeah! I've taken out a good card! Maybe there's some hope for me after all..."_ With this thought in mind, he selected the bottom right prize: Psychic Energy.

"Wow! You're much more clever than I thought!" Maya cried. "But don't sit back and relax just yet! You still have to face Makuhita!" With that, she placed a Makuhita lv. 12 in the arena.

"Ruby's turn!" Brock called.

Maya attached a Fighting Energy to Makuhita, then commanded "Makuhita! Fling out!"

"Hiiiitaaaa!" The Makuhita slammed into the Raichu, and dragged out Ash's Cyndaquil lv. 14!

"Sapphire's turn!" Brock called.

Ash attached another Fire Energy and his second Pluspower to Cyndaquil. "Okay!" Cyndaquil! Tackle!" he commanded.

"Quil!" Cyndaquil barreled into Makuhita, sending Maya's HP down to 30.

"Ruby's turn!"

"Makuhita! Low Kick!" Maya called. The Makuhita slammed into Ash's Cyndaquil, knocking Ash's HP down to 250.

"Sapphire's turn!" Brock called.

Ash drew his next card: Quilava lv 32! _"I think this'll do it!"_ he smiled as he laid down the card, making the Cyndaquil disappear in a flash of light. A Quilava appeared in its place. "Quilava! Time to win this duel! Slash!" Ash called.

"Va!!!" The Quilava slashed the Makuhita in the face, returning it to a card.

Brock blew the whistle again as Maya's HP rocketed to 0. "Game set! Sapphire wins!"

Misty, Pikachu and Togepi cheered as Ash stepped down from his platform. Maya did the same, and the two trainers met in the center of the room. "Well done!" Maya replied. "I never knew you had so much potential!"

"Uh...no hard feelings, okay?" Ash assured Maya.

"You played very well." Maya continued. "I think you may have the potential to compete in this week's trading card challenge!"

"Really?" Ash was surprised. " May I try? I really want to try!"

"Okay...I'll sign you up, and give you details tomorrow." Maya said.

"Well, thanks for the lesson and the duel! I had fun!" Ash called as he, Misty and Brock turned to leave.

"Wait! One more thing..." Maya handed Ash a deck tin with a rearing Ponyta on it. "Take this. I made it especially for a special trainer. Take good care of it!"

"Thanks!" Ash called as the group left.

---------

Later, the group made camp just outside of Titian City. Misty was cuddling Togepi, Brock laid against a tree, fine tuning the whistle he had made, and Ash was practicing on the guitar. Brock had played it earlier in the evening, so the strings felt warm and inviting to Ash's sweaty fingers. _"I think I ought to compose a song to celebrate my victory..."_ he mused as he lazily strummed a tune. With that, he began to work on some chords.

"I can't wait to see how Ash does in the tournament..." Misty began. "He did very well dueling Maya."

"Ash looked like a pro up there, I know...he may even clear out the whole tournament field and take the prize!" Brock began. "But, what do I know..." He turned and smiled at Togepi. "Want me to play for you?" he asked, nervously fingering his whistle.

"Gi-to-iiii!!!" Togepi replied.

"I'll take that as a 'yes'..." and with that, Brock began a simple melody--one that Togepi instantly recognized. _"Gi, togi-di-o-i, togidigi-togi-di!" _he sang, pleased with himself.

"That's right, Togepi! That's the little Taillow song!" Misty smiled. She began to sing along with Brock's melody:_ "Little Taillow sits in the old gum tree-e, eating all the gumdrops he can see-e. Laugh, Little Taillow, laugh, Little Taillow, leave some there for me....Little Taillow sits in the old gum tree-e..."_

_"Little Taillow sits in the old gum tree-e..."_ Ash chimed in, following along on guitar.

_"...Eating all the gumdrops he can see-e..."_ Misty sang the next line.

_"...Eating all the gumdrops he can see-e..."_ Ash echoed.

_"...Laugh, Little Taillow, laugh, Little Taillow, leave some there for me...."_ Misty concluded her part.

_"Laugh, Little Taillow, laugh, Little Taillow, leave some there for me...."_ Ash finished the round.

"Pika pi!" Pikachu begged.

"You know...I've had enough of 'Little Taillow' for a while..." Brock began. "I think I'll play..." He was about to say more when everyone began talking at once.

"Pikapika!" Pikachu suggested.

"Togepi wants another song!" Misty began.

"Okay, okay, somebody start singing and I'll join in if I know it." Brock assured everyone. He was about to play when...

"Hey guys! Listen to this!" Ash called. With that, he began a rollicking melody.

"That sounds pretty good, Ash!" Misty commented, clapping along.

"Good thing I remembered to pack my own!" Brock laughed, taking out his own guitar and starting in on a different melody. Ash instantly recognized Brock's song as one of his favorites: _The Circle of Power._ He joined in with Brock, playing the harmony while Brock continued the melody.

"Pika!" Pikachu and Misty began to dance as the tune echoed through the night....

What awaits Ash in the tounament? Will Maya's deck serve him well? Stay tuned!


	4. The Heart of the Cards, part 4: Three's ...

_Last time on "Pokemon: The Heart of the Cards"...._

_Just when things are looking bleak for Ash, he takes advantage of a Potion card, giving him the boost he needs to stay alive and knock Maya's Manetric out of competition! But Maya brings out Makuhita; and Ash is forced to take control of Cyndaquil. Luckily for Ash, he takes advantage of another evolution and defeats Maya! Maya accepts her defeat humbly, and gives Ash one of her decks as thanks for a job well done. She then signs him up to compete in the Challenge Cup, the greatest honor a duelist can win!_

_Is Ash ready for this new challenge? Find out!_

The Heart of the Cards, part 4: Three's Company!

The next morning, the group broke camp and returned to Pokemon Dome. "Wonder where Maya is?" Ash wondered as the group entered Pokemon Dome and walked to the waiting room.

"Probably busy doing whatever it is card masters do in the mornings, I guess." Misty replied as the group sat down. "All we can do for now is wait for her to get here."

Just then, Ash felt a tug on his shirt. "Huh?" He noticed Pikachu was looking up at him from the floor, so he knelt down, picked Pikachu up, and cradled him in his arms. "What is it, little guy? Whatcha want?" he cooed as he scratched Pikachu's head.

"Pika pi ka pi pi, pikapi?" Pikachu asked.

"You want to go explore for a while?" Ash asked. "Okay...but come right back here when Maya gets here, okay?" With that, he set Pikachu on the floor.

"Pika!" Pikachu assured Ash as he hurried off into the crowds of people.

"What was that about?" Misty asked, curious.

"Pikachu was getting bored, so I let him go explore the Dome for a while." Ash explained. "I told him to come back here when Maya gets here."

"Which might not be for a while..." Misty groaned.

---------

Pikachu watched the crowds of people from another chair, apparently amazed at the sheer number of people. There were families, trainers from all over the world, some of whom had their Pokemon with them, couples, school classes--all coming to watch the best of the best battle it out for a fabulous prize. He was about to climb down and interact with some of them when he heard the sound of a Pokeflute coming from another lounge. He hurried on, curious as to who was playing the beautiful song.

It turned out the music was coming from a TV...but Pikachu was too far away to see. "Pika..." he told himself, and bounded through the room to an empty chair located in front of the TV, where he sat and watched the girl on the screen play one song after another.

"You must like that pretty music, don't you?" said a voice. Pikachu quickly turned around and noticed that a girl had sat down in the chair next to him. She smiled and offered a Pokeblock to Pikachu. "Want one?"

Pikachu took the Pokeblock and sniffed it, then took a bite. After sucking on that for a little bit, he stuffed the remainder of the Pokeblock in his mouth, apparently pleased with the sweet taste. "Pikapika!" he called to his new friend.

"You're welcome!" the girl replied. She waved goodbye as Pikachu skittered off into the halls.

---------

After a while, Pikachu came back to the hall where the group was waiting. He sat nearby a fountain in the hall and watched the water flow down into a small pool surrounded by reeds. Fascinated by the reeds' movement, he picked a few, then brought them back to the group. "Pika pika, pikachu?" he asked Brock.

"Well..." Brock got out some scissors, some small clay balls, and tape from his pack and began to cut some of the reeds. "If we cut the reeds so that each one is a little bit shorter than the last one..." he explained as he cut the reeds. "...stop them at one end..." He then proceeded to plug each of the cut reeds with a clay ball. "....tape them all together..." he continued as he gathered up the reeds and taped them together into a raft shape. "...you wind up with something like this. And if you blow across the tops of the reeds, like so..." Brock demonstrated by blowing across one the reeds, making a note. "you make a sound."

"Pika..." Pikachu was impressed. "Pi?"

"Oh, panpipes!" Misty laughed. "I loved making those back at the Gym! I used to challenge Lily, Violet and Daisy to see who could play the best! Naturally, I won most of the time!"

"Cool!" Ash was impressed. "May I try them?"

"Here." Brock offered the pipes to Ash.

Ash thought for a moment, then began to play a slightly tropical sounding melody...

_"Island mon day o! Pokemon day o! Lying in the sun, we're having so much fun....Island mon day o! Pokemon day o!...."_ Misty sang.

"Togi togi, to-iiiii!" Togepi joined in with his master.

"Pika pika Chu! Pika pi ka chu!" Pikachu chimed in.

"Wow, you guys! That song sounds great!" said a voice.

Ash stopped his song and turned to see Maya walking towards them. "Oh! Good morning, Maya!" he stammered. "When does the tournament start?"

"Not until the afternoon, so there's still time for your friends to sign up, if they want!" Maya replied, ruffling for her sponsor sign up sheet, which had Ash's name down under the ENTRANT column.

"I will! I have my deck, 'Rock Storm'!" Brock dug out his Geodude tin and fanned out the cards before Maya. "I call it that because it's a mix of Fighting and Lightning Pokemon, with some Fire ones thrown in for good measure."

"I think I have a deck..." Misty rummaged through her not-so-organized pack until she found a small blue tin with a Starmie on it. "Here it is!" She opened the tin and fanned out the cards before Maya. "I named this deck 'Psychic Rain", since it's based on Water and Psychic Pokemon, with some other ones in there for emergencies."

"I see..." Maya admired the decks. "Would you guys like to enter as a team? I have two more spaces for entrants on this sheet."

"I do!" Misty smiled. "I want to see if this deck is good or not!

"Me too!" Brock agreed. "What do we have to do to enter?"

"Well, all you guys have to do is think of a team name and I'll put that on the sponsor's sheet." Maya replied. "But think carefully, since once you've registered with the team name, you're stuck with it, okay?"

"Okay..." the group replied.

"Thank you for sponsoring us, Maya..." Ash added.

"Anytime!" Maya replied. She looked at her watch. "I have to go do something really quick, so you can think of a name while I'm gone." With that, she disappeared into the crowd, leaving the group in the lounge.

"Let's see..." Misty thought for a moment. "How about 'Raging Storm?'"

"Chu!!" Pikachu replied, disgusted.

"Uh...the Shining Stars?" Brock suggested.

"Togi!" Togepi chirped angrily.

"The Jewels of Power?" Misty suggested.

"Mmm...nah." Brock replied. "Champions of Kanto, maybe?"

"That's a little better..." Misty replied.

"Yeah..." Ash agreed.

"Maybe the Flowers of Power?" Misty suggested.

"EW!!!!!" Ash and Brock cried. "No way!"

"How about the Pokepals?" Ash suggested.

"Pokepals?" Misty and Brock asked, confused.

"See, we all like Pokemon..." Ash explained. "and we're pals, so to speak...put them both together, and that's what you get!"

"YEAH! PERFECT!!!" Misty and Brock exclaimed.

"All right, the Pokepals it is!" Ash replied with a laugh.

"Pikapi, pika pi pi chu!" Pikachu interjected.

"You think we need a catch phrase and a fight song?" Ash asked.

"Why not? I've got a catch phrase idea!" Misty suggested. "Guys, put your hands on top of mine." Ash and Brock obeyed, putting their hands on top of Misty's. "Then I'll say 'Two, three, comin' in! Who's the greatest?', and we'll all say 'Go, Pokepower!' together. Got it?" Ash and Brock nodded.

"Let's try it!" Brock cried.

"Okay! Two, three, comin' in! Who's the greatest?" Misty cried.

"GO, POKEPOWER!" the group chorused.

"Well, since we're on the subject...I have an idea for a fight song!" Ash suggested. With that, he began to sing. "_We're the Pokepals, we're a-comin' in, with our combined power we are gonna win, we will rise and triumph over every foe, and let the Pokepower shine!..."_

"Sounds good!" Brock commented. He rummaged for some paper and a pen. "I'm going to write this down so we don't forget it!"

"Here's my two cents!" Misty started to sing. _"Trainers everywhere, they will heed our call, we believe that they are always standing tall, if we trust our hearts and always give our all, and let the Pokepower shine! We will take our struggles hand in hand, and forever be admired 'cross this land, though we may be many, as one we stand, letting our Pokepower shine!..."_

"So far so good." Brock replied as he finished writing both of Misty's verses and his own verses down. "Here's my part..." With that, he began singing in a different key. _"Onward now we go, onward to the fight, with our Pokepower as our guiding light, we will ever climb up to the greatest height, and let the Pokepower shine! We have traveled far across this land so free, Pokemon League waiting just for you and me, and there we'll reign as Pokemasters three, and let the Pokepower always shine!"_

"I like it!" Misty commented.

"Let's sing it for Maya when she gets back!" Ash cried.

"Better idea, we'll sing it as we enter the arena!" Misty added.

"Pika, pika!" Pikachu pointed out Maya making her way through the crowd. "Pikapi!"

"So, have you guys decided on a team name?" Maya asked.

"Yeah, we are the Pokepals!" Ash replied. "We even have a catch phrase and a fight song." He grabbed the paper with the fight song lyrics on it. "Wanna hear it?"

"Later, okay?" Maya replied. "Before we go into the arena, let me explain a few rules of the tournament...When you are challenged, you will fight one match with four prizes. If you win, you get one of these..." She dug out a silver coin with a picture of the Earth Badge on it and showed it to the group.

"What's that?" Ash was curious.

"This is a Crest." Maya continued. "If you get all eight of these, you advance to the semi-finals, where you duel the four Grand Masters. Once two people have defeated them, they will face each other in the finals. Whoever wins that gets the four Legendary cards and a nice cash prize....questions?"

"How would a team advance through the tournament?" Brock wondered.

"A team advances very much like a single person would." Maya explained. "However, there are a few differences..."

"Like?" Ash beckoned, eager to know more.

"Well, a team has to be sponsored by a card master...and when a team is challenged, the team chooses someone to accept the challenge." Maya continued. "The sponsor cannot duel, however, but I can help you and give you new cards."

"This is going to be so exciting!" Ash could hardly contain himself, he was so excited. "Let's all duel hard and win the Legendaries!"

"Then, are you guys ready to go into the arena?" Maya asked.

"Let's go! Pokepower!" Misty cried as she led the group down the hall into the arena.

---------

"Wow..." Ash commented as the group walked into the arena and marveled at all the different teams and competitors. "This is our competition?"

"Sure is! People come from all over to compete." Maya explained. "You guys aren't the only ones going after the four Legendary cards."

"Just curious, which Legendaries are we dueling for?" Ash asked.

"Ho'oh lv. 70, Lugia lv. 64, Suicune lv. 58, and Raikou lv. 50". Maya replied. "They're all very powerful cards, so only the best duelist can use them!" With that, the group found a spot on the sidelines, got comfortable, and waited as people filed into the arena.

An hour or so later, the referee ran onto the arena floor. "Attention please..." she called, getting everyone's attention. "We have received our first challenge of the day. Competitors, do you wish to take on Ken, the Fire Club master?" she asked, gesturing to a young black haired man stepping up to the Ruby platform.

"That's 'Lord of the Flames' to you!" Ken snapped. "I will burn all challengers to cinders with my powerful Fire Pokemon!"

"Oh yeah?" Brock walked over to the arena and stepped up to the Sapphire platform. "Try me out for size!"

"Well then, challenger, are you ready to get scorched by my Fire Pokemon?" Ken asked, taunting Brock.

"I think the more appropriate question is...are YOU ready to be stormed?" Brock asked as the scoreboard displayed the deck information: RUBY WILDFIRE SAPPHIRE ROCK STORM

Will Brock be able to handle this duel? How will the Pokepals fare in the competition ahead? Will the Legendary cards be theirs? Stay tuned!


	5. The Heart of the Cards, part 5: Ready fo...

_Last time on "Pokemon: The Heart of the Cards"..._

_Misty and Brock have joined Ash in his desire to become a trading card duelist! Together, the three of them will face some of the best duelists in the world with one goal in mind: four Legendary cards! But three competitors also means triple the duels, with the group's first challenge coming in the form of the self-proclaimed "Lord of the Flames"; Ken, the Fire Club Master. Ken's prescence in the arena alone is enough to make any duelist tremble, but Brock decides to put the boastful duelist in his place._

_Will Brock survive the duel? Find out!_

The Heart of the Cards, part 5: Ready for the Storm

Misty wrung her hands as the two competitors shuffled their decks. "I sure hope Brock knows what he's doing....this Ken guy looks really good."

"I'm sure he'll do fine." Ash assured Misty.

"Pika pika chu, Pika pika chu!" Pikachu sang the first line of the fight song while waving a flag.

"That's right, Pikachu! We're the Pokepals, we're a comin' in!" Misty repled with a giggle.

"Quiet, they're about to do the coin toss!" Ash shushed...

Back in the arena, Brock selected his Bench Pokemon, prizes, and active card. With Vulpix, Geodude, Onix, and all my other good Fighting Pokemon in play, I don't think Ken will survive my Rock Storm!" he thought to himself with a smile. He took one glance at his side of the stats: SAPPHIRE 2 4 4 53 330, and compared them to Ken's stats: RUBY 4 2 4 53 160 "This'll be too easy..."

The ref blew her whistle, signifying the coin toss. "If heads, the challenger plays first!" she announced. The coin went up....

"Heads..." Brock called the toss.

The ref checked the coin when it landed. "Ruby plays first!"

"Prepare to be scorched!" Ken taunted as he flipped up his active card: Growlithe lv. 18. A Growlithe appeared in the arena and barked to the crowd, causing some people to laugh.

"And you get ready for the storm!" Brock answered as he flipped up his active card: Zubat lv. 11.

Ken laughed as the Zubat appeared before his Growlithe. "You call THAT puny Pokemon a storm? More like a drizzle to me!" He attached a Double Colorless Energy to Growlithe, causing it to glow bright white as twice as much energy went inside him. "Okay, Growlithe! Stoke your fire!" The Growlithe yipped obediently, and dug into a little bit of the arena, revealing a Fire Energy card. "Good boy..." Ken replied, shuffling the card into his deck.

"Sapphire's turn!" the ref called.

Brock attached a Fighting Energy and a Defender to Zubat. "Zubat! Wing Attack!" he commanded. The Zubat circled over the Growlithe several times, then swooped down for the attack, scraping the Growlithe in the face with its wing. Ken's HP went down by 10.

"Ruby's turn!' the ref announced.

Ken attached the Fire Energy he received earlier to Growlithe. "Growlithe, Body Slam!" His command was interrupted by the ref's whistle.

"If heads, Sapphire is paralyzed!" the ref called. She flipped the coin...

"Oh, please, not now....." Brock thought. He swallowed hard as the coin came up heads.

"Charge!" Ken commanded. The Growlithe ran up and slammed into the Zubat, making it fall onto the ground, paralyzed. However, Brock's HP remained at 330. "What???" He stared up at the scoreboard in disbelief, surprised that Brock's HP had not decreased. "What happened? Body Slam was supposed to knock your Zubat out! I had it planned and everything!"

"Oh, you seem to have forgotten I had a Defender up around Zubat." Brock explained. "And by the way..." He displayed his next card: Golbat lv 30.

"Sapphire's turn!" the ref announced.

Brock calmly put down the Golbat card, causing his Zubat to disappear and a Golbat to appear in its place. The move also boosted Brock's HP to 370. "Golbat! Dive into it!" he commanded.

"Gollll!!!" The Golbat streaked down and hammered the Growlithe in the stomach, dazing it. Ken's HP went down by 20.

"Ruby's turn!"

"Growlithe, knock the Golbat out once and for all! Body Slam!" Ken commanded. The Growlithe barreled into the Golbat with so much force, it slumped to the ground and returned to the form of a card, defeated.

"Oh no!" Misty cried as Brock's HP went down to 300.

"Pika pi..." Pikachu agreed with a sigh.

The ref blew the whistle, getting everyone's attention. "Ruby, select a prize!" she announced as Ken's prizes appeared before him.

Ken laughed as he selected the top right prize: Tauros lv. 28. "Are all your Pokemon this weak?" he asked as he added the Tauros to his bench, boosting his HP to 200.

"I wouldn't say that!" Brock replied as he placed his next card in the arena: Geodude lv. 17.

"Sapphire's turn!" the ref announced

Brock's next card was a Trainer card: Pokeflute. _"Hmm...Pokeflute automatically summons a random Pokemon onto the opponent's bench and paralyzes the active Pokemon ..."_ he thought. _"If I could somehow get his weakest Pokemon out and knock that one out on top of the Growlithe , I could pull ahead!" _He made a T with his hands. "Time out!"

The ref blew the whistle. "Sapphire calls time out!"

Misty and Ash ran up to the edge of the arena. "What is it, Brock?" Ash asked. "In trouble?"

"Do we need a new plan?" Misty asked.

Brock stepped down from the platform and joined Misty and Ash on the arena floor. "Pokepal huddle!" he called. The three trainers huddled together, discussing their duel plan.

---------

"Okay, you noticed that I drew a Pokeflute on my current turn, right?" Brock explained. "I have an idea that might give me the lead, but I want to know what you guys think of it first."

"We're all ears..." Ash mused.

"My plan...is to weaken the Growlithe with Geodude's attack, Rock Toss." Brock explained. "Then, I'll play the Pokeflute I just got, luring Ken's weakest Pokemon onto his bench. Next, I'll use the Gust of Wind in my hand to send that Pokemon--whoever it is--out into the arena, and knock that Pokemon out. Ken will probably put Growlithe back out, and I'll knock Growlithe out too!"

"Great idea!" Misty cried.

"Go for it!" Ash agreed.

"Pika pi, chu?" Pikachu asked, jingling a strand of bells in front of Brock.

"Sure, you can jingle those as I play the Pokeflute, but don't jingle them until I give the signal, okay?" Brock told Pikachu.

"Pika pika chu?" Pikachu asked.

"What is the signal? I'll do this..." Brock gave a small nod to Pikachu.

"Can we clap too?" Misty asked.

"I guess...but not until..." Brock started...

"You give the signal, we know." Ash sighed.

"Right..." Brock smiled. "Who's the greatest?" he began.

"GO, POKEPOWER!" Misty and Ash replied. With that, Brock stepped back to his platform just as his time out expired.

"Sapphire has two time outs remaining!" the ref explained. "It is still Sapphire's turn!"

Will Brock's plan work? How will the duel play out? Stay tuned!


	6. The Heart of the Cards, part 6: With a S...

_Last time on "Pokemon: The Heart of the Cards"..._

_The duel between Ken and Brock begins with a bang! Brock tries his best to get a leg up on Ken by sending out Golbat, but that proves to be a bad move, as Brock's Golbat is no match for Ken's Growlithe! But all is not lost...before Golbat goes down, Brock manages to weaken Growlithe a little. However, when Brock manages to draw a Pokeflute, he, Misty and Ash devise a plan for a double knockout! Now, Brock stands poised to carry out his plan, but who knows what Ken will do to counter Brock's strategy?_

_Will Brock take the lead? Does Ken have another tactic up his sleeve to counter this plan? Find out!_

The Heart of the Cards, part 6: With a Song in My Cards

"Sapphire, make your move..." the ref called.

Brock attached a Fighting Energy to Geodude, then commanded "Geodude! Rock Toss!"

The ref blew the whistle, signaling a coin toss. "10 damage for every heads!" she announced as she flipped the coin for the first time.

"Pika pi, pikachupi?" Pikachu asked Misty, clutching his bell strand tightly.

"No, not yet. Brock said to wait for the signal." Misty assured Pikachu.

"Chaa..." Pikachu sighed, apparently frustrated.

Ash studied the scoreboard for a moment. "Brock needs to get two heads in order for the plan to work. If he gets all three heads, that would knock Growlithe out and mess the plan up!"

"Well, there's one!" Misty noted, hearing the crowd cheer as the first coin landed on heads. The second coin went up...and landed on tails.

Brock watched nervously as the third coin went up._ "Come on, come on, come on..."_ He grinned as the crowd cheered, signaling that he had gotten two heads. _"YES!!!"_

The Geodude hurled a barrage of rocks at the Growlithe, dazing it. Ken's HP went down by twenty, leaving his HP at 180.

"Ruby's turn!" the ref announced.

"Growlithe, Body Slam!" Ken called.The Growlithe slammed into the Geodude, knocking Brock's HP down to 270.

"Sapphire's turn!" called the ref.

Brock drew another Fighting Energy, but decided to save it and use the Double Colorless Energy in his hand. The Geodude glowed bright white as twice as much Energy flowed into it. Then Brock overlaid the only Evolution card in his hand: Graveler lv. 32, making a Graveler appear in the Geodude's place and boosting his HP to 310. Then, he placed the Pokeflute card in the play area, making a real Pokeflute appear on his platform.

Ash saw the Pokeflute materialize on Brock's platform. "Get ready." he told Pikachu.

"Pika!" Pikachu got ready to ring his bells...

"No, no, no! Not yet, not yet!" Ash reminded Pikachu. "The signal..."

"Pika pika, pikapi..." Pikachu assured Ash.

"All right, then." Ash replied, turning his attention back to the arena.

Brock took the Pokeflute in his hands, lifted it to his lips, and started to play a hypnotic melody. After playing the tune through once, he gave a small nod in Pikachu's direction. Pikachu started jingling his bell strand in rhythm with Brock's melody. Before long, the entire crowd, and even Ken, was either tapping their foot or moving their head in rhythm to the music.

As the song continued, Ken's deck rose out of the deck holder and began to ruffle through itself several times, until one card fell onto Ken's bench, boosting his HP to 230. The crowd applauded when the song ended.

Ken was unfazed. "Great song and all, but do you REALLY think that will win this duel?" he asked.

"I'm not through yet!" and Brock placed the Gust of Wind card. A tornado appeared in the arena, blowing the Growlithe back to Ken's bench, and dragging out the Pokemon Brock had summoned earlier: Rattata lv. 7. Some people laughed when the Rattata appeared. "Tatta!" it cried.

"Graveler, Rock Toss!" Brock commanded as he attached a Pluspower to it.

The ref blew the whistle, signaling another coin toss. "30 damage for each heads with Pluspower!" she explained. The coin went up...

"Okay, with Pluspower in play, Brock really only needs one heads to completely knock out the Rattata, right? Misty asked, looking to Ash for the answer.

"That's true..." Ash replied, cracking his knuckles in anticipation of the second coin toss. "Somehow, I have a feeling Ken has a strategy of his own to counter our plan..."

"Look, three in a row!" Misty pointed at the scoreboard, which depicted three O's, one for each heads. "That means 90 damage!"

The Graveler tossed three HUGE rocks at the tiny Rattata, knocking it into Ken's discard, lowering his HP back to 200. Brock, on the other hand, smiled as the ref blew the whistle, signifying a knockout. "Sapphire, select a prize!" she called as Brock's prizes appeared before him.

Brock grabbed the top left prize: Lightning Energy. _"I might need this if I get Electabuzz or Pikachu out there..."_ he thought as he slipped it into his hand.

"Ruby, select a Pokemon!" the ref called.

"Growlithe, get back out there and finish the job!" Ken commanded as he placed the Growlithe back in the arena. "Or better yet!..." and he overlaid his next card on top of the Growlithe card: Arcanine lv. 42.

"Uh oh..." Misty began. She hadn't counted on this.

"Pika pika pi ka, pikapi..." Pikachu agreed, trembling

"You're right, Pikachu. Our plan is about to go horribly wrong..." Ash sighed apprehensively.

"Arcanine, Heat Tackle!" Ken commanded. The Arcanine blew out some flames, then slammed them with such great force into the Graveler, it returned to a card, defeated. Brock's HP returned to 270. "Not so high and mighty without your Graveler, are you?" he laughed, not noticing that his Arcanine had been hit with recoil.

"Well, I'm just going to have to fight fire with fire!" Brock answered, displaying Vulpix lv. 16 to the crowd.

Sapphire's turn!" the ref announced.

Brock attached a Fire Energy to his Vulpix. "Okay, Vulpix! Hypnotic Gaze!" he commanded. The Vulpix's eyes started to change colors and swirl as it stared at the Arcanine. After a few minutes, the Arcanine's eyes began to swirl in the same manner, then fluttered, then closed as it slumped to the floor, asleep.

"Ruby's turn!" the ref called.

"Uh, um..." Ken stammered as he attached some energy to his Tauros. " I end my turn!"

"All right, Ruby's sleep check...if heads, Arcanine wakes up!" the ref explained. The coin went up...and landed on tails. Ken groaned in frustration as the ref called "Sapphire's turn!"

Brock drew his next card: Ninetales lv. 35. _"Hmm..."_ he thought. _"Nah, Vulpix can damage Ken's benched Pokemon as well as the Arcanine..." _With that, he added the evolution card to his hand and attached another Fire Energy to Vulpix. "Vulpix, Fire Ring!" he commanded.

"Vul!" The Vulpix fired a flaming circle at the snoozing Arcanine, causing Ken's HP to go down by 20. A second ring enveloped the benched Tauros, causing 10 more damage!

"Ruby's sleep check!" the ref called, flipping the coin. "Ruby continues to sleep!"

Ken attached a Fire Energy to his Tauros. _"This guy will be no match for my Tauros!"_ he thought as he ended his turn.

"Sapphire's turn!" the ref announced.

Brock looked again at the Ninetales lv. 35 card. _"I have a bad feeling that I'm going to have to use this...and soon."_ He sighed and called to his Vulpix "Finish him off with Fire Ring!" Vulpix fired two more fire rings, the first wrapping the sleeping Arcanine up, knocking it out, and the second damaging the benched Tauros again!

"Sapphire, select a prize!" the ref announced as Brock's prizes appeared before him.

Brock smiled, pleased with himself as he grabbed one of his prizes: another Fire Energy. "Now we're even!" he called to Ken.

"Yeah, but you haven't seen anything yet!" Ken yelled back. "Allow me to introduce...Tauros!" He flipped up his Tauros card, making a Tauros appear in the arena. It pawed the arena floor eagerly, anxious to charge.

"Ruby's turn!" the ref announced.

"Tauros! 3 Pronged Tail!" Ken commanded.

Brock swallowed hard as the ref blew the whistle, signaling a coin toss. "_If Ken gets the lead again...I don't think I'll be able to get it back..."_ he thought. He glanced over at Misty and Ash hopefully. _"Then again, I may still have a chance! I've dueled hard to get this far, but I'm really gonna have to pull out all the stops if I hope to win!"_ He flashed a thumbs up to his friends as the first coin landed on tails. The second coin went up...

"Come on, Brock! You can do it!" Misty called, but her call was in vain as the second coin came up heads.

"Pika pi!" Pikachu cheered, waving a 'GO BROCK!' sign. Ash smiled in agreement.

"Thanks, guys..." Brock smiled. "Go, Pokepower!" he called to the group.

"POKEPOWER!!!" Misty and Ash cried back.

Ken smirked with confidence as the third coin came up heads. "You think your silly little war cry will stop my superior edge?" At this, the Tauros charged at Brock's Vulpix, making two scratches with its tail. Brock's HP went down by 20.

"Sapphire's turn!"

"Never underestimate Pokepower!" Brock taunted back, overlaying his Ninetales lv. 35 onto his Vulpix card, boosting his HP by 20. He attached the last Fire Energy in his hand to Ninetales, then commanded "Dancing Embers, now!"

Misty looked up at the scoreboard. "Dancing Embers uses eight coin tosses, right?"

"True..." Ash replied. "Since Ken's Tauros is wounded a little already, he needs five heads to knock it out."

"Where are you getting all these card stats from, a book?" Misty asked, puzzled.

"Nope!" Ash replied. "Maya told me about some of the popular cards that are used here." He pointed out Maya talking to some other sponsors. "She's over there, if you want her to come over here."

"I think I'll ask..." Misty waved a hand in Maya's direction. "Maya! Over here!"

"Coming..." Maya walked over to where Misty and Ash were standing. "Isn't this exciting?"

"Sure is!" Ash replied as he counted the O's on the scoreboard. "One...two...miss...miss...miss...miss...miss...three!"

The Ninetales hurled a shower of embers at the Tauros, but only three of them connected. The Tauros cried in pain as Ken's HP went down by 30.

"Ruby's turn!" the ref announced.

Ken attached a Double Colorless Energy to Tauros, then commanded "Tauros! Finish off the Ninetales with Full Speed Charge!"

Brock got his next card, Onix lv. 43, ready for battle. _"I've saved my very best for last..."_ He sighed as his HP went down by 50. _"Here's hoping..."_

"Ruby, select a prize!" the ref announced.

Ken laughed with delight as he grabbed one of his two remaining prizes. "You DO know that if I take my last prize, you lose?"

"I may be down, but I'm not out yet!" Brock announced. "It's time that I showed you TRUE Pokepower!" With that, he placed Onix lv 43 in the arena, and a HUGE Onix towered above the arena floor, awing those in the crowd, and striking fear into Ken's heart.

"I knew Brock was saving his best for last!" Ash noted.

"Maybe Brock has a chance for a comeback!" Maya agreed. "Onix is a powerful card, one that a great player can use well..."

"I guess our victory lies with that Onix..." Misty sighed.

Can Brock come from behind and win? Will his best card come through for the Pokepals? Stay tuned!


	7. The Heart of the Cards, part 7: An Onixp...

_Last time on "Pokemon: The Heart of the Cards"..._

_The duel between Ken and Brock begins to literally heat up as Brock tries to turn Ken's own power against him! However, even this strategy turns out to be useless against Ken's sheer power. But Brock is not about ready to give up yet! He quickly places Onix lv. 43 on the field, confident he'll win! The duel now depends on one card..._

_Will the Pokepals emerge victorious? Find out!_

The Heart of the Cards, part 7: An Onix-pected Victory

Ken trembled with fear at the monstrosity towering over him. "Wha...what is that!"

"It's Onix, my most powerful Pokemon!" Brock explained. "For this whole duel you've been trying to scare me with your so-called powerful Pokemon...but now you'll really see what power is!" He attached a second Fighting Energy to Onix on top of the one he had placed earlier. "Onix! Let this audience hear a mighty roar of Pokepower!" The Onix let out a deafening roar that shook the whole room. Ken's Tauros turned to run away, but could not under sheer panic.

"Ruby's turn!" the ref called.

"Um...Tauros, retreat!" Ken called, returning the Tauros to his bench and setting a Ponyta out in its place, ending his turn.

Brock attached a third Fighting Energy and his last Pluspower to Onix, then commanded "Onix! Rock Throw!" The Onix began throwing rocks at the Ponyta, making the arena shake again. The Ponyta tried to dodge the onslaught of rocks, but soon succumbed to the form of a card, making Ken's HP go down by 40.

"Both sides are now at one prize apiece!" the ref explained. "The next knockout is declared the winner!"

Ash led the audience in clapping. "Come on everyone! Sing with me!" With that, he started the fight song. _"We're the Pokepals, we're a-comin' in, with our combined power we are gonna win, we will rise and triumph over every foe, and let the Pokepower shine!..."_

"Tauros! Come back and use 3 Pronged Tail!" Ken commanded, placing his Tauros back in the arena and motioning to the ref for the coin toss. The coin went up...

_"...Onward now we go, onward to the fight, with our Pokepower as our guiding light, we will ever climb up to the greatest height, and let the Pokepower shine!..."_ Maya led the audience in the last verse as three X's came up on the scoreboard. _"We have traveled far across this land so free, Pokemon League waiting just for you and me, and there we'll reign as Pokemasters three, and let the Pokepower always shine!"._

Ken hung his head as the ref called "Sapphire's turn!"

"Onix! Rock Throw!" Brock called. "Seal this victory for me!" The Onix obeyed, and soon, the Tauros succumbed to the giant rocks.

"Game set!" the ref called as Brock took his last prize. "Sapphire wins!" The audience burst into applause!

"YAHOOO!!!!" Ash cried, tossing his cap in the air.

"We did it!" Misty cheered as Brock triumphantly stepped down from his platform and shook hands with Ken.

"Way to go!" Maya smiled, putting a hand on Brock's shoulder.

Brock smiled. "Don't mention it. I just played as hard as I could..."

"Keep that up, okay?" Misty told him. "We could use a duelist like you." She smiled as Brock approached the ref.

"Sapphire, take this Crest and this booster pack as proof of your victory!" the ref replied, handing a booster pack to Brock.

"Thank you." Brock replied to the ref, taking the booster pack in his hand. He flashed the Boulder Crest to the audience, then ran back to his teammates as the audience cheered.

"All right! Let's celebrate!" Misty suggested.

"Follow me to the Dome's restaurant!" Maya called. "We'll celebrate there!" With that, she lead the group out into the crowd of people.

---------

"I can't believe it!" Ash cried as he and the others mingled in the hallway. "I thought we were done for when Ken put out that Tauros!"

"Pika pi!" Pikachu agreed, giving Brock a playful static jolt.

"Brock, I'm proud of you, no question." Maya began. "I can't believe that you won after all that pressure Ken put on you!"

"Didn't you hear him bragging the whole duel?" Brock asked the others.

"I know I did, and I wished he would stop..." Misty sighed.

"I hope he realizes now that mere power isn't enough to win a duel...it's actually dependent on strategy." Ash mused.

"Me too, but don't count on it." Maya cautioned. "He is known to be a bit of a braggart..."

"Tell me about it..." Ash sighed as he rummaged for a piece of paper and a pencil. "This is worthy enough to send in a letter to May..."

Maya offered Ash some paper decorated with various trading cards, including the four Legendaries. "Here, you can write it with this Card Mail, Pokemon Dome's special Mail!"

"Thanks!" Ash replied as he took the Card Mail from Maya and sat down on a nearby couch. "Let's see....Dear May..." he wrote.

"Hello from Titian City! This is the home of Pokemon Dome, the great card duel arena!" Misty suggested.

"That's good!" Ash commented as he wrote Misty's suggestion down. "...duel...arena. Then what?"

"Misty, Brock and I are competing in one of the tournaments right now, and we've just won the first round!" Maya suggested.

Ash copied down Maya's sentence and added his own words. "Brock showed his opponent that Pokemon card dueling isn't about how powerful your cards are, it's how you use them in the duel. We sang our fight song at least three times!..."

"Ash!" a voice called from the crowd, startling everyone.

"Huh?" Ash looked up from writing his letter to see Professor Oak standing over him. "Oh! Professor! I didn't expect to see you here!"

"I was in town listening to one of my coleagues, Dr. Mason, present his paper on the history of Pokemon cards." Professor Oak explained. "It was quite interesting, actually...so I understand you've won your first round in the tournament, correct?"

"Yeah!" Ash replied. "Brock put a hot-shot duelist in his place! I even told the audience to sing our fight song!"

"Fight song?" Professor Oak was interested.

"Wanna hear some of it?" Ash asked, grabbing Brock's lyrics from his pocket. "Okay...somebody give us a note."

Brock hummed a note, then led everyone into the first verse. _"We're the Pokepals, we're a-comin' in, with our combined power we are gonna win, we will rise and triumph over every foe, and let the Pokepower shine!..."_

"That sounds good!" Professor Oak chuckled. "I wish all of you the best of luck in the rounds ahead!...oh, have a booster pack as a reward for your victory!" He gave everyone a booster pack, then disappeared into the crowd.

"I guess we've shown the competition not to mess with Pokepower!" Brock laughed, pocketing his two booster packs.

"There are still many others to duel." Maya cautioned, "so don't get TOO cocky."

"We'll try!" Ash assured Maya. "For now, let's have dinner and celebrate!" The others laughed in delight as they walked off.

With one victory behind them, what lies ahead for the Pokepals? Stay tuned!


	8. The Heart of the Cards, part 8: A Star i...

_Last time on "Pokemon: The Heart of the Cards"..._

_Just when it seems the Pokepals are about to lose the duel with Ken, Brock reveals his best card, Onix lv. 43, and single handedly pulls off a win, giving the group the resolve to carry onward into the next rounds! There are many more duelists ahead for our heroes, but for now, they plan to enjoy the thrill of victory!_

_What will happen on this special evening? Find out!_

The Heart of the Cards, part 8: A Star is Born

The group smiled and laughed as they strolled into the myriad of tables, people, food, music, and laughter. "Here we are! The Pokemon Dome Dinner Theater!" Maya explained.

"Wow...this place is huge!" Misty commented as she glanced around the room. There were people occupying every table, some enjoying a meal, others talking among each other, and still others enjoying the music of the house band.

"It is, because a lot of people come here after a long day of dueling cards." Maya replied. "I have a few friends that work here..."

"Where are we going to sit?" Ash wondered. "All the tables are taken!"

"There's still a few seats at the bar." Maya assured Ash. "We'll all sit there. By the way, dinner's on me tonight!" she giggled as the group sat down.

"Good evening, Maya!" the bartender called. "Want a root beer?"

"Sure, and three more for my friends." Maya replied.

"All right..." and the bartender returned with four glasses of root beer. "Here you are. Call if you need refills." With that, he went off to tend to the other customers.

"Wow, I'm thirsty after that duel!" Ash smiled, taking a huge gulp of his drink.

"Which reminds me..." Misty raised her glass. "A toast! To our first victory!"

"And to Pokepower!" Brock added. With that, four glasses clinked together.

Maya sipped her drink, then continued. "Oh, tonight's Amateur Talent night, so if you have an act to share, feel free to go up onstage and wow the crowd!"

"I would, but I have stage fright!" Ash stammered. "If I had the courage to do it, I'd sing a song or tell jokes..."

"Well, your singing's pretty good, but the comedy act needs some improvement." Brock commented.

"Go on up there, Ash!" Maya put a shoulder around Ash. "I would like to hear how you sound!"

"Well..." Ash got up from his chair and stretched. "Since you guys have talked me into it, I might as well sing...but I might do something else too." With that, he strolled through the maze of tables and up to the stage, where the band was warming up. He tapped the microphone a few times, checking to see if it was on. "Check: Testing, testing, one, two...can you guys hear me okay in the back?" A few cheers came from the back. Satisfied with that reply, Ash motioned to the band. "Hit it, guys."

With that, the drummer began a steady rhythm as Ash began his song:

_If you're gonna play in Titian, you gotta have a fiddle in the band._

_That lead guitar is hot, but not for this kind of trainer man!_

_So rosin up that bow to play 'Hey Love', and let's all dance!_

_If you're gonna play in Titian, you gotta have a fiddle in the band...._

With this, the rest of the band joined in the song as Ash began the first verse:

_One day in Titian City, I was puttin' on a show,_

_When a pretty girl in the back stood up and yelled 'Don Gato!'_

_She said "Now, I love what you're doing, please don't get me wrong,_

_There's just something missing in your song....._

The audience began to clap as the backup singers joined in with Ash on the chorus:

_If you're gonna play in Titian, you gotta have a fiddle in the band._

_That lead guitar is hot, but not for this kind of trainer man!_

_So rosin up that bow to play 'Hey Love', and let's all dance!_

_If you're gonna play in Titian, you gotta have a fiddle in the band...._

The band members each took a turn soloing, then Ash reappeared in his spotlight for the second verse:

_So, I dusted off my boots and put my cowboy hat on straight,_

_Everybody raised the roof as I opened up my case..._ Everyone in the audience cheered as a recording of a fiddle blared over the speakers.

_You say you guys wanna two-step?_

_Or do you wanna do-si-do?_

_Well, here's a fiddling song before we go!...._

Just then, the lights went out on the stage and the audience began to holler in anticipation for the promised song. Misty stood up as she clapped, eager to see Ash play. Suddenly, the drummer quickened his rhythm, and the tell-tale notes of a fiddle filled the air!

"All right!" Brock led the audience in clapping as Ash reappeared onstage, playing a fiddle along with the band. The entire room jumped to life, clapping along with Ash's every stroke.

"Yee-ha!" Maya cheered in encouragement as Ash continued.

"Oh yeah!" Brock agreed, enthusiastically clapping for his friend and fellow Pokepal. He led the applause when Ash concluded his song. Ash took a bow for his audience, then returned to his seat.

"Great job!" Maya called as Ash sat down. "That sounded really good!"

"Thank you..." Ash replied, sipping his drink. "Right now, my fingers need a rest..." He flexed his fingers a few times, then drummed them on the table as he glanced around at passersby that were coming and going.

"Well, they'd have to be tired playing all that at a million notes per minute!" Misty laughed. She sipped her drink a little, then turned to Brock, who was obvously enjoying the steak sandwich he had ordered. "Are you going to get up and do something?" she asked.

"Yeah! I think I will..." and Brock brushed off the crumbs from his shirt, got up, and walked off towards the stage.

"What's going to do? Sing some sappy ballad to all the girls in the audience?" Ash asked.

"Knowing Brock, he'd probably do that..." Misty sighed as the band began a bluesy melody. Surprisingly, all three were surprised as Brock started to play a harmonica solo, bringing the entire audience to its feet! Then, he began to sing as the band took over:

_Your mind is made up, you won't even try...._

_You didn't even cry this time!_

_You say that we could never see eye to eye,_

_And one of us just must be blind._

_We have our differences,_

_We're still the same..._

_See what we want to see..._

_But you take a second look_

_And maybe things wouldn't seem the same_

_If you could see what you mean to me..._

_Put yourself in my shoes..._

_Walk a mile for me._

_I'll put myself in your shoes,_

_Maybe then we'd see..._

_That if you put yourself in my shoes..._

_You'd have some sympathy._

_And if I could only put myself in your shoes,_

_I'd walk right back to me...._

"Wow! He's pretty good!" Maya commented as Brock continued to wail away. She drummed her fingers on the table as Brock started the second verse:

_You're gonna keep walkin' and you're gonna pass me by,_

_You say you don't even care!_

_But I could always recognize a real good-bye,_

_And I know your heart's not there..._

_We've had our differences,_

_We're still the same..._

_Hear what we want to hear..._

_Now I'm head over heels in the lost and found_

_It's a cryin' shame..._

_I thought we made the perfect pair!_ Some girls screamed at this.

_Put yourself in my shoes..._

_Walk a while--walk that mile for me._

_I'll put myself in your shoes._

_Maybe then we'd see..._

_That if you put yourself in my shoes,_

_You'd have some sympathy..._

_And if I could only put myself in your shoes,_

_I'd walk right back to me...._

_I'd walk right back to me..._

_I'd walk....._ Brock held this note for a while, causing the entire audience to cheer. _right ba-a-a-ack...._ Even more cheers erupted from the girls in the audience. _to me...._ He took his harmonica and wailed one last time to end the song.

"YEAAAHHHHH!!!!" Every person in the room stood up and applauded, including the others.

"I didn't know Brock could get into it like that!" Ash was impressed. He whistled in encouragement as Brock took a bow for the audience.

"Thank you for that rousing song!" a girl called from the piano. "In fact, why don't you come play with me?

"Sure!" Brock strolled over to a nearby chair and got comfortable.

"What's going on?" Ash wondered.

"Tina, the pianist, is going to give Brock a random instrument that he has to play along with her." Maya explained. "Part of the fun is watching the person try to play an instrument he or she may not have played before."

Misty suddenly started to giggle, then laugh, and before long was laughing so hard she could barely contain herself. "What's so funny?" Ash asked.

"Look on the stage...what Brock has to try to play....hee hee..." Misty gasped before laughing some more.

"Huh?" Ash looked over at the stage and noticed Brock staring at a tuba with a _'Do-I-really-have-to-do-this?_' look. "Oh...THIS I have to see..." he laughed. "Who wants to bet he tips over before he even gets started?"

Maya heard Brock try a few notes with the gargantuan instrument. "Well, at least a few notes is a good sign..."

Tina started a rapidfire piano melody as an intro. Brock followed along, trying to convince the audience that although the song itself was good, they were still listening to a tuba.

The two instruments traded off with the song....at least until Tina decided to let Brock show off a little.

Brock immediately started to descend down the musical scale, getting lower...and lower...

"How low can he go?" Misty joked as Brock got into the REALLY low notes, making some people laugh. Tina quickly decided that was enough, and the two ended the song together. The room exploded with applause as Brock took a bow and left the stage.

"Well! I'm impressed!" Misty replied.

"Not bad for anyone who's never had a lesson!" the bartender agreed.

"You know, Brock, I think you do better with the harmonica." Ash smiled, taking a bite of a hamburger he had ordered.

"Thanks..." Brock replied, sipping his drink.

---------

After several hours, the group relaxed as they listened to the band play. "You know Maya, I want to thank you for tonight." Brock replied. "Even if they made me play the tuba!" Everyone laughed at this.

"Anytime!" Maya replied. "But I have a question: how did you learn to play the harmonica?"

"Easy..." Brock replied. "I found one lying in a drawer one day, so I set about teaching myself to play it. Before long, I got pretty good at it, good enough to be playing for parties, picnics, schools and even weddings! After I had mastered my current one, I got a low harmonica...you know, the kind that plays REALLY low notes?"

"You mean a bass harmonica?" Misty asked.

"Something like that...well I rounded up three of my friends and we formed a little harmonica band..." Brock sighed as he thought on the old memories...

"Hey, I can play the harmonica too!" Ash dug his own instrument from his pocket and showed Brock a few riffs he knew, including a train whistle sound effect. Brock smiled, impressed.

"Wow! Will you teach me?" Maya asked.

"Me too?" Misty begged.

"Okay!" Brock dug out two spare harmonicas and gave them to the girls. "Here's how you play: You blow on certain holes to get certain notes, and you inhale-or draw-to get others...." Misty and Maya tried their best to follow along....

----------

"Are you sure you want us all to play?" Misty stammered as Brock led the group into the wings. "I'm still a little shakey..."

"Relax..." Brock assured Misty as he fished his low harmonica from his pocket. "I'm playing bass, Maya will do the rhythm, you do the harmony, and Ash gets the melody."

"Everyone ready?" Ash asked.

"As I'll ever be..." Misty stammered. as she followed Ash onstage and took her place at a microphone. Brock snapped a few times, then Ash led everyone into _"Camptown Races"_. Misty just followed Ash's melody as best as she could, then slowed down as Ash transitioned into a slower song, playing a little countermelody to Ash's melody.

Ash then transitioned into a short section of _"Swanee River"._ On this, Misty opted to follow Maya more, while all the while trying not to giggle as she watched Brock puff away with the bass part.

Finally, Ash and Brock began the final song in the set: _"Oh Susanna"._ _"This one's easy...just single notes...."_ she thought as she followed along with the melody. Suddenly, Brock changed keys, and soon, the foursome was playing in four part harmony. When the song concluded, the entire Dome burst into applause!

----------

"Here you are..." Maya flicked on the lights as the group entered a large bedroom. "I saved this guest room for you to sleep in while you're here competing."

"Thanks Maya!" Ash called as he walked over to one of the beds. "I'll sleep in the one by the window..."

"Okay if I sleep next to you?" Misty asked as she got comfortable on the second bed.

"Sure!" Ash replied as he climbed in his bed and turned on the TV. "Just don't snore, okay?"

"I think Brock's the one that snores...." Misty giggled.

"I do not!" Brock retorted as he stretched out on the bed closest to the nearby bathroom.

"Oh yeah? Then what was that 'sknnnnxxx' noise I heard last night?" Misty asked.

"Sknnnnnxxx!" Togepi agreed.

"Okay, okay, I confess: I was snoring last night...just not very loud." Brock sighed. "I only do it if I get really involved in a dream or something..."

"Guys, can you pipe down a little bit?" Ash asked. "Maya and I are trying to watch this show!"

"Sorry!" Misty stammered. With that, she got out some formula and began to feed Togepi.

Ash turned to Maya and smiled. "So? Did you like performing with us?"

"Oh yes, performing that act was fun!" Maya smiled and turned to leave. "Maybe we should do it again sometime!"

"I'm glad you had fun." Brock agreed. "Keep practicing, though."

"I will!" Maya assured Brock. "Good night, you guys!"

"'Night, Maya..." the group called back as they got ready for bed.

Ash turned to face Misty's bed. "Speaking of practicing...looks like Misty's still going strong!" he laughed as he listened to Misty practice on her harmonica, as Pikachu and Togepi listened intently.

"Togi togi, toiiii!" Togepi chirped excitedly.

"Chu, Chu, pikachupi!" Pikachu agreed.

"Again? You guys must like my version of _'Greensleeves...'_" and Misty began the song again.

"She's getting pretty good with that song..." Brock noted. "Maybe we should go out tomorrow and explore Titian City!"

"Sounds like fun!" Ash replied. "We'll ask Maya in the morning, okay?" With that, he yawned and dozed off.

What else does Titian City have to offer? Stay tuned!


	9. The Heart of the Cards, part 9: Titian T...

_Last time on "Pokemon: The Heart of the Cards"...._

_After a come from behind victory by Brock, the Pokepals decide to celebrate by having dinner at Pokemon Dome's famed restaurant! It also turns out to be amateur talent night, and one glance at the piano player sends Brock's heart a flutter! He proceeds to wow the crowd with his harmonica skills, and even proving to the audience that a tuba is cool! But the real showstopper comes when Ash, Misty, and Maya join Brock onstage. and play their own harmonicas in four part harmony! It proves to be a special night for everyone!_

_Now the Pokepals wish to tour Titian City, and sample more of what the city has to offer..._

_What will the Pokepals see on their tour? Does a challenge wait for them? Find out!_

The Heart of the Cards, part 9: Titian Tours

"Unngh..." Ash rolled over in his bed, trying to shield himself from the sunshine peeking in the window. _"I'm still tired from last night..."_ he thought as he pulled the covers up over his head and went back to sleep. _"Boy, this bed feels better than my bed at home! I wish I had a bed like this... _He rolled over onto his back and watched as Brock got up, stretched, plodded into a nearby bathroom, started the shower, and shut the door. "_I guess if Brock's awake, I'd better wake Misty up..." _With this thought in mind, he turned to face Misty's bed. "Hey, Misty...

"...mrrgh...what, Ash?" Misty asked as she sat up in her bed and yawned. "Did you sleep well?"

"Yeah...I'm still a little sleepy from last night though..." Ash replied. "Let's just go back to sleep." he suggested, fluffing his pillow

"At least until Brock gets out of the shower." Misty agreed. She also pulled up her covers and went back to sleep.

---------

"Good morning, guys!" Maya called as she strolled into the room where Ash and Misty were snoozing. Brock sat on his bed, struggling to put on a shirt. "How is everyone?"

"Tired...but okay..." Ash yawned as he trudged over to the clothes pile and selected a shirt for himself.

"Pikachu, pi ka..." Pikachu begged, nuzzling Ash's shirt.

"I know you're hungry, let me get dressed first." Ash pulled the shirt over his head, put on some jeans, his vest, and cap. "Okay...now I'll feed you." With that, he got some Pokefood out of his pack and filled a bowl for Pikachu.

"When you guys are ready, come on out to the front and I'll take you on a tour of Titian City!" Maya called.

"We're coming!" Ash and the others hurried down the hall to the Dome entrance, where Maya was waiting.

---------

"...and over on your left is Titan Mill, a great historical landmark." Maya pointed out a mill as the group walked along. "That mill used to be the only place you could get flour back in frontier days."

"Wow!" Brock decided to take a picture.

"Take my picture too!" Misty stepped before Brock and smiled as the flash went off.

"Me too!" Ash stepped before the camera and hugged Misty close as the flash went off again.

"Now do something really silly!" Brock laughed as he loaded more film in the camera. "Say cheese!"

"Cheese!" Misty stuck out her tongue and Ash made a silly face as the camera went off.

"All right, you guys...on we go!" Maya giggled as she led the group onto the main square. "This is the town square, or as we like to call it, Performer's Square, since lots of people come out here and perform. There's also some shops out here if you'd like to go look."

"Performing?" Brock was impressed. "I have an idea..." He grabbed a Styrofoam cup out of Misty's pack and wrote 'TIPS' on it in big black letters. "I'll see if I can rank any tips up while you guys shop." With that, he settled down on a bench with his harmonica and played as the others walked off.

---------

"How's it going?" Misty asked when she and the others returned several hours later.

"Slow..." Brock sighed. "All I have in the tip jar is..." He fished out a piece of lint, several marbles, a few wood chips, and pieces of string from the tip jar. "all of that."

Maya sighed as she emptied the contents onto the ground. "We'll play with you...want to reprise our performance from last night?"

"Yeah!" Brock switched out his instruments and grabbed his low harmonica. "Maybe we'll draw a crowd with four harmonicas!" With that, he and Ash lead the group into their performance from the previous night. By the time the group started 'Oh Susanna', a small crowd had gathered, mostly parents and children. When they were done, the crowd applauded.

"Thank you..." Brock replied as the girls collected the tips. "Okay...this next one we're gonna do...was written many years ago..." and he proceeded to tell the story of the song as the tip jar circled around the crowd.

"Hmm...I didn't know Brock made a good emcee..." Maya whispered to Ash.

"He has experience performing, so of course he makes a good emcee." Ash whispered back, toying with his harmonica. "Do you like playing the rhythm, or do you want the melody?"

"No, you do fine with the melody...I'm not that good to play melody yet..." Maya smiled.

"Okay...' Ash replied. He readied his instrument as Brock concluded his introduction and counted everyone off, then began to play a slow and relaxing melody. Misty added a subtle harmony in the background as Brock and Maya worked on a waltzing rhythm. Then Ash decided to pick up the pace into a faster melody, causing some people in the audience to clap along, which turned into more applause when the song ended. The audience buzzed with anticipation as the group huddled together to discuss their next number.

"Let's do the 'Greensleeves' medley next!" Misty suggested.

"Nah...I'm not that good at harmony yet." Ash disagreed.

"How about the Old Smokey set?" Maya suggested.

"Yeah!" everyone agreed. With that, Brock turned to face the audience. "Okay... we're going to do a set of songs you should know...so feel free to sing along!...." He turned to the others and counted "And...one-two-three, one-two-three, one-two-three, one-two-three..." The group then started to play _"On Top of Old Smokey"._

_"On top of spaghetti...all covered with cheese..."_ came a familiar voice from the audience. _"I lost my poor meatball...when sombody sneezed...."_

Ash tensed up when he heard the singing. _"Oh no...Gary's here...and he's trying to ruin our performance!"_ he thought. _"I've got to keep focusd on this..."_ He tried to continue the melody, but Gary's singing only made it harder to focus.

_"It rolled off the table...and onto the floor..."_ Gary continued as he approached the group. By this time, Ash was so tense he could barely play his instrument. _"Come on...must not laugh...._ he told himself. _"Must not laugh..."_ Finally the urge to laugh got so large, he completely stopped playing and burst out laughing at Gary's "song".

Just then, Brock stopped his part. "Funny...where did our melody go?"

"It cracked up over somebody in the audience, apparently." Maya noted, pointing out the still laughing Ash. Gary stood nearby, with a proud smirk on his face.

"Gary!" Misty cried. She stormed over to where Gary was standing and stared him in the face. "Why did you have to mess up our performance?" she demanded.

"I came to give Ash a challenge." Gary began, shoving Misty aside. This caused several people in the audience to gasp.

"A challenge?" Ash asked, trembling.

"I challenge you to come up with a deck better than mine!" At this, Gary unfurled his deck before the audience, causing some to ooh and ah over the rare cards.

"I didn't know he had Jirachi lv. 30!" Maya gasped. "That's one of the rarest cards of all!"

"I will admit, he has some good ones..." Brock agreed as he admired Gary's deck.

"Now, wait a minute!" Ash protested. "I have my fair share of good cards too!"

"We'll see how good they are when they're up against Kyorge, Groundon, and Jirachi!" Gary snapped. "You better watch it, Ash, and stay out of the way! Those Legendary cards are gonna be mine!" With that, he flicked his hair back and strolled off. "Smell ya later!"

"Ooh...that Gary...." Misty grumbled. "I'll tear him limb from limb for threatening Ash like that!"

"He apparently doesn't understand the concept of teamwork." Brock sighed and turned his attention back to the audience. "Now...where were we before we were so rudely interuppted?" The audience stood, silent. "Okay, we'll just pick another song...."

"I have one!" Ash suggested. Everyone readied their instruments as Ash counted "And a-one, two, three, four!" and a rousing four part rendition of _"Oh When the Saints Go Marching In"_ filled the air!

----------

That evening, Misty and Ash settled on a bench not too far away from the arena and counted the tips from the afternoon's streetcorner performance. "I can't believe we made all this money in one afternoon!" Ash exclaimed as he counted his share.

"Well, who knew the harmonica was this popular?" Misty giggled as she counted the last of the tips. "Okay...we made a grand total of two thousand credits this afternoon!"

"That's perfect! Five hundred credits between the four of us." Ash smiled and pocketed his share. "Now, where are Brock and Maya when we need them?"

"Maya's in her room, and Brock's in the card shop getting more cards. They'll be back in a minute." Misty assured Ash as she stretched her legs and watched the passersby. "We've been seeing a lot of familiar faces around here lately..."

"Don't remind me..." Ash sighed, shuddering over the encounter with Gary.

Misty noticed Ash's uneasiness. "Look, don't let what Gary said get to you. He was probably just trying to scare you. But we won't let a cocky braggart like him stand in our way! We're a team, remember?"

"Yeah..." Ash mused, fumbling for the Ponyta tin Maya had given him earlier. "Let's just see what Maya put in this deck....that I can use to thrash Gary!" He ruffled through the cards, telling Misty some of the good ones. "Hmm...oh, Celebi....Articuno....Zapdos....Moltres...Dragonite...Entei..."

"Wow...Maya earned those Legendaries herself?" Misty was impressed.

"With these, I'm more than ready to take him on!" Ash cried, turning his cap backwards. "Bring it on, Gary!" he cried into the air. "I'm ready for you!

"Easy, Ash..." Misty cautioned. "He didn't officially challenge you, so don't get excited just yet." Ash calmly sat back down and sighed, apparently bored. "I wonder who else we'll see..."

"Misty? Ash?" a voice called from the crowd. "Is that you?"

"Huh?" Ash looked up and noticed a familiar face looking at him. "Tracey!"

"Hi, Tracey!" Misty got up and gave Tracey a hug. "It's great to see you!"

"Well, Marill, Venonat, and Scyther were getting anxious to go somewhere, so I thought I'd come here!" Tracey explained. "I heard you guys were competing, too!"

"We won the first round, if that's any indication." Misty smiled.

"Right now, we're waiting on our teammate and sponsor to get back..." Ash trailed off. "When they do, we've got to get back in the arena for the next round..." Just then, he noticed Marill climbing up on his lap. "Oh, hi, Marill! Remember me?"

"Marill! Mar!" Marill replied, giving Ash a playful spritz.

"I guess he does remember you!" Tracey laughed. He was about to say more when he was interuppted by the loudspeaker:

_"Attention, competitors: A challenge has been received. All competitors report to the arena, repeat, all competitors report to the arena."_

"We've got to go, Tracey..." Misty explained.

"I know, you two need to meet up with your teammate and sponsor. I won't keep you waiting." With that, Tracey disappeared into the crowd as Ash and Misty hurried into the arena.

---------

"What took you guys so long?" Brock asked as Ash and Misty arrived in the arena. "Maya and I were waiting for you guys for at least thirty minutes?"

"Uh, we met up with an old friend and had to talk." Ash explained. "He traveled with us while you were with Professor Ivy."

"Oh..." Brock mused. "You never told me what your companion in the Orange Islands was like..."

"I have a photo album of Orange Island pictures we can look at later, okay?" Misty assured Brock. She was about to say more when a handsome blonde haired boy approached the group and studied Misty carefully. "Yes?"

"Well, if it isn't the famous Misty of Cerulean Gym..." the boy mused. "I am Brain O'Leary, Water Pokemon duelist and explorer."

"Pleased to meet you..." Misty stammered.

"May I have the honor of challenging you?" Brian asked. "I would very much like to see how well a Gym Leader duels with cards..."

"Okay!" Misty hurried over and stepped up to the Sapphire platform as the deck information appeared on the scoreboard: RUBY AQUA BREEZE SAPPHIRE PSYCHIC RAIN

Will Misty make some waves in the second round? Stay tuned!


	10. The Heart of the Cards, part 10: There W...

_Last time on "Pokemon: The Heart of the Cards"..._

_Ash and company decide to spend the day touring Titian City and sampling some of what the city has to offer! Besides seeing the historical landmarks and the shops, the main drag also plays host to Performer's Square, where the group decides to put on a streetcorner serenade. But, Gary comes and challenges Ash to defeat his deck, a deck so full of legendaries that it puts even the Grand Masters to shame!_

_However, the group also meets up with an old friend...Ash and Misty reunite with Tracey while waiting to go into the arena for the second round...but before the three of them can reminisce about their adventures in the Orange Islands, the handsome Water Pokemon duelist Brian O'Leary challenges Misty!_

_Can Misty make a splash in the second round? Find out!_

The Heart of the Cards, part 10: There Will Come Psychic Rains

Ash watched as Brian and Misty shuffled their decks, until a burning question crossed his mind. He gently gave Maya a nudge. "Uh, Maya?

"What is it, Ash? Something wrong?" Maya asked.

"No, I'm curious about something...do you have profiles on any of the duelists?" Ash wondered. "I'd really like to know so I can plan my deck accordingly."

"Why...yes, I do. Just a minute..." Maya got out her PokeNavi and turned it on. "Let's start by looking at Misty's opponent, Brian O'Leary." With that, she ran the search and waited as Brian's profile came on the screen.

"Well?" Ash asked.

"Pika pika pi?" Pikachu skittered onto Ash's shoulder, apparently fascinated by the flickering screen.

"What does it say? Just wait until Maya finishes loading it and we'll find out." Brock assured Pikachu.

"Here we go..." Maya cleared her throat and began to read the profile. "Brian is known as a great adventurer, and has traveled all over the world. His suave demeanor and friendly personality hide his true skill at the trading card game. His deck, Aqua Breeze, not only contains Water Pokemon, but also has Flying Pokemon too."

"Hmm..." Ash watched as Brian shuffled Misty's deck. "He looks pretty calm and relaxed up there..."

"He's not the type to brag. He's a good sport and treats his opponents respectfully." Maya explained.

Brock sighed. "I wish I could've dueled him....

---------

Meanwhile, Misty set up her play area. _"Let's see...I have Horsea, Abra, and Psyduck ready to go...and Staryu for the arena..."_ she thought as she looked over her cards. _"This shouldn't be TOO hard...I hope..."_ She glanced up at her stats-SAPPHIRE 3 3 53 4 170. and gave a content sigh. "I'm ready!"

"One moment...I'm still preparing." Brian called back as he organized his cards. Misty sighed and drummed her fingers on her platform as she waited for her opponent's stats to appear. Finally, the scoreboard updated with Brian's stats-RUBY 5 1 53 4 100 "Now, I'm ready to begin."

"Are both sides ready?" the ref asked. Both Brian and Misty nodded. "Okay...if heads, the challenger plays first." With that, the coin went up...

"170 to 100...that looks about even..." Brock noted as he made a scoreboard chart for himself.

"Here's hoping that Brian doesn't flatten Misty like Ken almost did to Brock..." Ash mused as he leaned back in his chair, watching the scoreboard.

"Actually, Brian prefers to wear the opponent down gradually instead of pounding away with sheer force." Maya assured Ash. "Sometimes, he'll talk with the opponent while they're dueling..." She was about to say more when the ref blew the whistle, signifying that Misty had won the toss.

"Here we go..." Brock sighed, readying his pencil to fill in his score chart...

"Go for it, Staryu!" Misty flipped up her active card, making a Staryu appear in the arena.

"Chinchou, go!" Brian comanded, flipping up his active card.

"Sapphire's turn!" the ref called.

Misty started by drawing Seel lv. 20. She added that to her bench, boosting her HP to 230, then attached a Water Energy to Staryu, ending her turn.

"Ruby's turn!"

"Chinchou, Confuse Ray!" Brian commanded.

The ref blew the whistle. "Coin toss! If heads, Sapphire is confused!"

Misty swallowed hard as the coin went up. "Ugh, I hate being confused..." she thought. She waited as the ref checked the coin, and breathed a HUGE sigh of relief as an X appeared on the scoreboard, signaling that it had come up tails!

"Whew..." Ash was also relieved.

"I know how annoying Confusion can be, too...especially if you end up knocking out yourself!" Maya giggled as she watched Brock write 'SAPPHIRE CONFUSE CHECK--NO' on his score/commentary sheet.

"Sapphire's turn!" the ref announced.

Misty attached another Water energy to Staryu. "Staryu, Swift attack!' she commanded. The Staryu hurled a barrage of stars at the Chinchou, making Brian's HP go down by 20.

"Ruby's turn!" the ref announced.

Brian first put a Spearow lv 10 on his Bench, boosting his HP to 110. "Chinchou, Sparkling Wave!" he commanded.

"Chin...CHOU!!!" The Chinchou sent a wave of sparkling water at the Staryu, knocking Misty down to 190.

"Sapphire's turn!"

Misty looked at her next card--Starmie lv. 28! She quickly overlaid the card on top of her Staryu, revealing a Starmie in its place and boosting her HP to 220. Next, she attached a third Water Energy to it. "Starmie, Bubblebeam!" she commanded.

"Coin toss!" the ref announced, getting everyone's attention. If heads, Ruby is paralyzed!"

_"Not to mention knocked out, too..."_ Misty thought as the coin went up. She glanced at the scoreboard and smiled as an O appeared. "Okay, Starmie!" The Starmie sprayed rainbow bubbles everywhere, getting some people near the front wet! Brian's HP returned to 80.

"Sapphire, select a prize!" the referee announced as Misty's prizes appeared before her.

"Well, you're actually quite clever!" Brian smiled. "For my next Pokemon, I choose--Corphish!" With that, he laid a Corphish card down in the arena.

"Ruby's turn!"

"Corphish, Slash!" Brian commanded. The Corphish tried to slash Misty's Starmie, only to be blocked by a blue shield.

"Sapphire's turn!"

Misty attached a Psychic Energy card to her Abra, then returned to her Starmie. "Give'em another Bubblebeam!" she commanded, and another blast of rainbow bubbles went flying! Brian's HP went down to 50.

"Ruby's turn!"

Brian attached a Water Energy to Corphish. "Corphish, Toxic!" he commanded. The Corphish sent some purple goo on top of the Starmie, making Misty's HP go down by 10.

"Poison rule!" the ref announced. "Sapphire will be poisoned in three turns, unless the Pokemon is benched or knocked out!"

"You hear that?" Maya asked.

"Actually, Misty just might win..." Brock began.

"How so?" Ash leaned over to look at Brock's chart, interested.

"Look here..." Brock flipped to a clean page in his notebook and drew a rough sketch of the arena floor. "You know that the current matchup is Corphish versus Starmie, right?" he asked as he sketched a Corphish and a Starmie in the arena. The others nodded. "We've just been told that Starmie will be poisoned in three turns, unless it's knocked out..." and he drew a fainted Starmie picture under his arena sketch. "...or benched." and he then drew a card on the bench.

"So?" Ash sighed.

"I have a way that Misty could win before her Starmie is poisoned." Brock explained. He wrote 'TURN #1' under the arena picture. "If she uses Bubblebeam to knock Corphish out, that brings Brian down to 30 HP." He drew a picture of a fainted Corphish to illustrate his point. "Brian brings out his Spearow..." and Brock drew a picture of a Spearow. "Misty uses Bubblebeam again, and game set!"

"Oh..." Ash mused. "I see..."

"Sapphire's turn!" the ref called.

"Bubblebeam, now!" Misty called. The Starmie again drenched the Corphish, defeating it. "Got any more left?" she called to Brian as she took one of her prizes.

Brian sighed. "Indeed, the end is in sight...but I can still make one last shot...allow me to present...Spearow!" and he laid his Spearow card in the arena.

"Sapphire's poison count is 2!" the ref announced. "Ruby's turn!"

Brian attached a Double Colorless energy to Spearow, then commanded "Spearow, Drill Peck!" The Spearow lunged at the Starmie, pecking it furiously. Misty's HP went down by 20.

"Sapphire's turn!"

"One more Bubblebeam!" Misty commanded. The Starmie fired one last wave of rainbow bubbles, until the Spearow fell, defeated.

"Game Set!" the ref announced. "Sapphire wins!" The wet, but happy audience applauded as Brian and Misty stepped down from the platform and shook hands.

"Well done, miss." Brian began. "Although I have lost, I still had a great time dueling..."

"It's okay..." Misty put a hand on Brian's shoulder. "You can't win every time."

"That's true..." and Brian fished a booster pack from his pocket. "Here...take this booster to remember me by..."

"Thank you!" Misty waved goodbye as Brian disappeared into the crowd. Then, she ran back to her teammates.

"Great job!" Brock smiled. "I must be developing psychic powers, since I somehow guessed your strategy perfectly!" He showed his demo picture to Misty.

"Try using those psychic abilities to develop your artistic skill!" Misty laughed as she walked to the awards podium.

"Congratulations, Sapphire. Take the Cascade Crest!" the ref announced as she handed the coin with the Cascade Badge on it to Misty.

"Thank you so much..." Misty began. She flashed the Crest to the cheering crowd and cried "The Pokepals are a-comin' in!" The audience cheered in agreement....

"Hold it right there!" a voice called from the arena.

"Huh?" Maya scratched her head, confused.

The crowd gasped as some lights came on the Ruby platform, revealing Gary ruffling his cards. "I'm sure you all enjoyed that particular duel, but are you ready for the main event?" he asked. He glanced around the room, waiting for an answer. "Well, are ya?" The crowd began to yell enthusiastically. "Yeah! That's more like it!..."

"Gary, Gary, he's our man! If he can't do it, nobody can!" cheered Gary's cheerleaders.

"Oooh..." Brock grumbled, annoyed. He stood up and began to clap. _"We're the Pokepals, we're a-comin' in, with our combined power we are gonna win..."_ he sang, clearly overpowering Gary's cheerleaders.

"Gary, Gary, fight fight fight! Gary Oak is dynamite!...." the cheerleaders screamed over Brock's singing.

_"...Onward now we go, onward to the fight, with our Pokepower as our guiding light...."_ Ash led the rest of the audience in the fight song. Before long, the room was so loud, it was hard to tell whose side was louder, Ash's or Gary's.

Just then, a whistle interrupted the shouting match. "Everyone, please! If an uninvited guest has made a challenge, then someone has to duel. Who will accept?" the ref asked.

"I will!" Ash confidently strolled up to the arena and took his place as the Sapphire platform. "Bring it on!"

"You wanna piece of me?" Gary asked, smoothing his hair back. "Prepare to be smashed to pieces, Pokewimps!" he laughed as the scoreboard blipped to life with the deck information: RUBY I'M GARY SAPPHIRE FLAME OF CONFUSION

Can Ash put Gary in his place? Stay tuned!


	11. The Heart of the Cards, part 11: Game No...

_Last time on "Pokemon: The Heart of the Cards"...._

_The duel between Brian and Misty commences with a splash, with both sides equally matched, but this isn't the case for very long, as Misty soon gains the upper hand! But, Brian has other ideas...he uses Toxic attack to turn Misty's Starmie into a poisonous time bomb: in three turns, it will be poisoned._

_Misty, however, uses the countdown to her advantage, and defeats Brian! But the celebrations are short-lived; for Gary comes and challenges Ash!_

Now, the two rivals stand ready to duel...can Ash gain the upper hand? Find out!

The Heart of the Cards, part 11: Game Not Quite Set

Ash glared at Gary as he shuffled his deck._ "I can't believe Gary has to go as far as crashing the compitition...he didn't bother to sign up, and now he's bullying the other duelists as if he has every right to be here..."_ He sighed as he received his deck back and set up his cards.

Gary, meanwhile, paced on his platform, eager to begin the duel. "You gonna pick your cards or not?" he asked, gesturing to his stats: RUBY 3 3 53 4 270

"Taunt me all you like, but I'm not backing down!" Ash called back, putting his cards in place and updating his stats to SAPPHIRE 2 4 53 4 240

"You're just asking to be crushed, Pokedweeb!" Gary laughed. "I've got a strong deck and great cards to prove it!" Ash turned to answer the taunt but was soon interrupted by the ref's whistle, signalling the coin toss.

"Heads!" Gary called the toss.

"Ruby wins the toss!" the ref announced. "Good luck to both of you!"

"Eevee, go!" Gary called. An Eevee romped into the arena, eager to battle.

"Treecko, I choose you!" Ash countered, sticking his Treecko card in the arena.

"Ruby's turn!" the ref announced.

Gary attached a Grass Energy to Eevee, then commanded, "Eevee, Smash Kick!"

"EEEEEEE-VEEEE!" The Eevee charged at the Treecko and delivered a hard kick into its stomach, knocking it backwards. Ash's HP went down by ten.

"Sapphire's turn!"

"Treecko, Tail Slap!" Ash commanded.

"Treee!" Treecko slammed its tail into Eevee, making Gary's HP go down by ten.

"Ruby's turn!" the ref announced.

Gary snickered. "I bet you haven't seen THIS kind of Energy before!" he laughed as he displayed a Darkness Energy card to Ash.

---------

"What kind of card is that?" Brock asked Maya when he spotted the Darkness Energy card Gary was holding.

"Darkness Energy..." Maya explained. "Gary must be trying to evolve his Eevee into Umbreon. Umbreon has a powerful Faint Attack that can attack any of the opponent's Pokemon..and at 30 damage per use, it can really add up over time."

"So if Gary gets Umbreon out there...does this mean Ash is finished?" Misty asked, apparently worried.

"Ash needs to knock Eevee out as soon as possible." Maya explained. "However, if Gary succeeds in getting Umbreon out, he still needs a second Darkness Energy to activate Faint Attack...so Ash should take that opportunity to strike!"

---------

"What is that?" Ash asked, curious over the black Energy card.

"It's Darkness Energy, my dear Pokeblob!" Gary replied. "Once I show you Umbreon, you'll turn tail and run!" He turned his attention back to his Eevee. "Smash Kick'em again!" Ash watched as his Treecko went flying against his platform, knocking his HP down by ten.

"Sapphire's turn!"

Ash attached a second Grass Energy and a Pluspower to Treecko. "Treecko, Tail Slap with Pluspower!" he commanded. A red aura surrounded the Treecko as he swatted the Eevee against Gary's platorm, knocking Gary's HP down by 20.

"Ruby's turn!"

"Here's Umbreon!" Gary overlaid his Umbreon card on top of his Eevee, boosting his HP to 270 again. "Umbreon, Bite the Treecko!" he commanded. The Umbreon lunged at the Trecko and bit it in the shoulder, knocking Ash's HP to an even 200.

"Sapphire's turn!"

"You think your Umbreon's tough?" Ash asked, displaying his next card, Grovyle lv. 30, to the audience. "Let me introduce...Grovyle!" and he overlaid the card on top of the Treecko, making a Grovyle appear in its place. "Okay, Grovyle! Slash attack!"

"Grov!" Grovyle scratched the Umbreon in the face, defeating it!

"NOOOOOOO!!!!!" Gary cried as Ash picked one of his prizes. "You're gonna pay for that!"

"How so?" Ash asked. "Try me..."

"Ruby's turn!

"Time for you to meet...Scyther!" Gary announced, placing his Scyther card in the arena and attaching a Grass Energy. "Scyther, Swords Dance!" he commanded. The Scyther produced two blades and twirled around them, chanting a war cry as he danced.

"Scyther's attack is up!" the ref announced. "Sapphire's turn!"

"Grovyle, counter with your Slash!" Ash commanded. Grovyle reared over the Scyther's head and slashed it in the side, knocking Gary down to 210.

"Ruby's turn!"

"And you think you're so smart..." Gary laughed as he overlaid Scizor lv. 32 over the Scyther card. "Scizor, Slash the Grovyle and finish him off!"

"Sciz!" Ash watched in horror as the might of Scizor's claws caused his Grovyle to collapse, knocking his HP down to 170. He sighed as he placed Pikachu lv. 18 in the arena.

"Sapphire's turn!"

"Pikachu! Use Pikabolt!" Ash commanded.

"CHUUU!!!" The Pikachu unleashed a huge thunderbolt that stunned the Scizor so hard, it collapsed, defeated.

"Hmm...You're a lot more clever than I thought!" Gary mused as Ash again took a prize, then recalled his Pikachu for another Pokemon: Taillow. "But don't call it a day yet! I still have my heavy artillery! Let me introduce...Nidoran!" A male Nidoran skittered into the arena, cautiously studying the Taillow.

"THAT's your heavy artillery?" Ash asked, surprised.

"Ruby's turn!"

Gary calmly attached an Energy card to his Nidoran. "You'll wish you hadn't said that here in a minute!"

---------

"Now what's he doing?" Misty swallowed hard, anxious as to what Gary would do next.

"I think he's trying to evolve the Nidoran..." Maya explained. "Nidorino has a powerful Take Down attack, but it's the Nidoking Ash should be worried about."

"Why?" Brock was curious.

"Nidoking has the Giant Horn attack." Maya replied. "It can do up to 80 damage in one hit. If Gary can get Nidoking out there..." and she trailed off.

"Ash wouldn't be able to survive." Misty sighed. "Nidoking would be too powerful for any of his Pokemon to defeat."

"Maybe not..." Brock smiled as he looked up from marking his commentary sheet.

"Huh?" Both girls looked at Brock, eager for the answer.

"Ash has a good Psychic card he can use to counter Nidoking...Kadabra." Brock explained.

"That's right! Kadabra's Super Psy attack does 50 damage per use!" Maya agreed. Ash should be able to bulldoze Gary with that!"

"The only problem is..." Misty mused as Ash's Taillow fell, defeated, "Can Ash find Kadabra in time and use it quickly enough?"

Will Misty's hopes prove right? Stay tuned!


	12. The Heart of the Cards, part 12: Race to...

_Last time on "Pokemon: The Heart of the Cards"..._

_Ash and Gary go at it one on one in an all out duel! However, every time Ash defeats one of Gary's Pokemon, Gary does the same to him!_

_Now Ash and Gary are even at 2 prizes each, with Gary threatening to take the lead!_

_Can Ash figure out Gary's strategy and win? Find out!_

The Heart of the Cards, part 12: Race to the Finish!

Gary smirked as Ash selected his next Pokemon, Abra lv. 10, and attached a Psychic Energy to it. "I hammer you good with Nidorino, and you give me that puny Pokemon?"

"Abra is NOT puny!" Ash retorted. "He can take down your Nidorino easily!"

"Oh puh-lease..." Gary sighed and flicked some hair out of his face. "Aren't we the cocky duelist here...."

"Gary, Gary, he's the best! Gary will beat all the rest!" cheered Gary's cheerleaders.

---------

"Did you hear that? Gary just called Ash cocky!!!" Misty grumbled.

"Gary sounds like the cocky one to me..." Brock noted. "What I wish is that his personal cheerleading squad would quiet down for a moment..."

"Then, let's make up a cheer of our own next time THEY start cheering!" Misty suggested. With that, she grabbed a piece of paper and a pencil from her pack and furiously scribbled down cheer ideas.

"Yeah!" Maya agreed. "But, how can you be so certain that Ash can win against Nidorino?"

"Easy..." and Brock drew out a rough sketch of the arena floor, followed by sketches of Nidorino and Abra. "Abra uses Psyshock, and paralyzes Gary...." and he drew a picture of the Abra firing small beams at the Nidorino. "With this...Gary can't put down Nidoking. Ash evolves Abra into Kadabra..." and he drew an arrow pointing to the right, followed by a rough drawing of a Kadabra. "Kadabra uses Super Psy, and Ash becomes unstoppable!"

"Hmm...you have a point there..." Maya was about to say more when Misty ran back to the group, frantically waving a piece of paper. "What is it, Misty?" she asked, interested.

"A cheer I made for Ash!" Misty replied. "Wanna hear it?" she asked, gesturing to the paper.

"Later, okay?" Brock assured Misty as he turned his attention back to the arena. Misty settled down next to him, holding her paper until an appropriate time came...

---------

"Sapphire's turn!" the referee announced.

"Abra, use Psyshock!" Ash called, but his command was interuppted by the ref's whistle.

"Coin toss!" the ref called. "If heads, Ruby is paralyzed!"

"Tails, tails, we call tails!" cheered Gary's cheerleaders as the coin went up...

"Bricabraca, bricabraca, bim, boom, bah! Ash Ketchum, Ash Ketchum, rah, rah, rah!" Misty cheered over Gary's cheerleaders.

_"Interesting cheer...."_ Ash thought as he saw an O appear on the scoreboard, making the crowd cheer. "Go, Abra!" The Abra fired a blue thunderbolt at the Nidorino, making Gary's HP drop by 20. A blue force field flew up and surrounded the Nidorino, rendering it unable to move.

"Ruby's turn!"

"Uhh..." Gary checked his next card: Not a Nidoking, but a Nidoran female! He put that on his bench, boosting his HP by 50. He then made a T with his hands. "Time out!"

"Ruby calls time out!" the ref announced.

_"What is Gary calling time out for?"_ Ash wondered as he watched Gary flag down another official. Then, he heard Gary ask "Can I evolve a Pokemon if it is paralyzed?"

The official replied, "No, it is considered a foul if you evolve a Pokemon while paralyzed. If you do that, the evolution is declared invalid, and your HP will be reset to the pre-evolution value." Gary nodded and sighed as the time out buzzer sounded. _"Stupid rules....they won't let me carry out my strategy..."_

"Sapphire's turn!"

Ash looked at his next card: Kadabra lv. 38! _"YES!!!"_ He smiled confidently as he overlaid the card over the Abra, making a Kadabra appear in its place. Next, he attached a Defender card to Kadabra. "_Just in case Gary has some surprise for me..." _"Kadabra, Super Psy!" he commanded. The Kadabra closed its eyes and focused a ball of blue light in its hands, then fired the light ball at the Nidorino, defeating it.

Gary looked at the scoreboard in shock and disbelief as Ash grabbed one of his two remaining prizes. "No...this can't be...I don't believe it!"

"Believe it." Ash replied. "You can't rely on brute force alone...."

"Whatever...." Gary sighed. "But I'm gonna try one more time to defeat you!" With that, he placed Wartortle lv. 22 in the arena.

"Ruby's turn!"

"Wartortle, Doubleslap!" Gary commanded, motioning to the ref for the coin toss.

---------

"Gary's trying to attack Ash, even though Ash has a Defender up?" Misty was shocked.

"He must be really desprate to win if he's doing that. That and asking that evolution question earlier..." Maya mused.

"It's not going to help him one bit, since Ash is poised to win here..." Brock mused as he updated his notes and tournament bracket. "Gary's going to have to do something drastic if he's going to win..."

"Yeah, where are those Legendary cards he bragged to us about?" Misty demanded as two X's appeared on the scoreboard. She flashed a wry smile as the Wartortle tried to slap the Kadabra, but was blocked by a blue shield both times. "Say goodbye, Gary..."

---------

Ash smiled as his Kadabra dodged Gary's attack. _"After knocking out two of my best cards...."_ he thought as he attached a Pluspower to Kadabra. _"I think it's time for a little payback..."_

"Sapphire's turn!"

"Kadabra, Super Psy with Pluspower!" Ash called.

"NOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!" Gary cried as another blast of blue light slammed into his Wartortle, defeating it.

"Game set! Sapphire wins!" the ref announced.

"YEAH!!!" Misty cheered.

"Pikapi!" Pikachu agreed, waving an 'ASH #1' flag.

Ash stepped down from the platform and waved to the crowd as he strolled over to the ref. Gary, on the other hand, stood in silence, apparently humbled by his loss.

"Well done, Sapphire. Take a booster pack as a reward for victory!" the ref replied as she handed a pack to Ash.

"Thank you!" Ash replied as he pocketed the booster pack, tipped his cap to the crowd, and ran over to the Ruby platform, where Gary was still sulking. Ash knelt down next to his rival and put a hand on his shoulder. "No hard feelings, okay?"

"You're apparently more stronger than I thought you would be..." Gary stood up and stretched. "but just wait until next time! I'll be more than a match for you!" With that, he stepped down from the platform and smoothed his hair back one more time. "Until then, Ash...smell ya later!" He gathered his cheerleaders behind him and walked out into the main hall. "Come on, girls...let's pay a little visit to the card shop..."

"Great job, Ash!" Maya gave Ash a huge hug. "You sure showed Gary your skills, and did well!"

"I thought you were done for when you lost Grovyle!" Misty began as she led the way out into the main hall, through the crowds of people and back to their room.

"I thought so too." Ash assured Misty. "But, thank goodness Kadabra came through for me!"

"Then, hang on to that card....you just might need it!" Maya smiled.

---------

"'Trainer's Log #6425: While continuing to compete in the trading card championships, we earned a Cascade Crest and the right to go on to the third round...'" Brock mused as he wrote in his diary. "Yeah, that's a good start."

"Don't forget the duel with Gary!" Ash smiled as he stretched out on his bed and flicked on the TV.

"I'm getting to that!" Brock assured him. He touched his pencil to his lips as he thought about what to put next, then wrote some more.

"Are you hungry, Togepi? Are ya? Are ya?" Misty cooed as she warmed Togepi's formula on the stove.

"Togi, gi!" Togepi chirped eagerly.

"Okay..." Misty walked over to the couch with the syringe full of formula, cradled Togepi in her arms, and offered the syringe to Togepi. "Here we go..." Togepi began to furiously drink his meal down.

"Aww...." Ash commented as he glanced over at Misty.

"Yeah..." Brock agreed. He formed a "frame" with his hands around Misty and Togepi. "It's a touching photo moment!"

Misty glanced over at the TV screen and noticed Ash was watching a science fiction adventure movie. "Interesting movie, Ash. What's it about?"

"It's about these two kids, Virgo and Gemini, who have taken shelter on this planet populated by bird creatures, since these evil aliens destroyed their home world." Ash explained as the two children and a bird creature ran down a pathway exploding with lasers. "Well, it turns out that Virgo has a special crystal the bad aliens want, so they've come to the bird-creature's planet to try and find it..."

"And if they do find it, it's _"gggnnnkgh"_ for the birds and the kids, right?" Brock asked, drawing a finger across his neck to illustrate his point.

"Yeah..." Ash sighed. He stretched as the TV announced "'Adventure Theater' will be right back after these messages." and trudged into the kitchen. "So, where's Maya? I want her to see those pictures..."

"She'll be here soon." Misty replied. "Then we'll look at those photos together..."

What memories are captured in Misty's album? Stay tuned!


	13. The Heart of the Cards, part 13: Memorie...

_Last time on "Pokemon: The Heart of the Cards"...._

_Just when things seem bleak for Ash, he figures out Gary's secret: Poison is weak to Psychic. With this thought in mind, he completely decimates Gary's remaining Pokemon, claiming a victory! Although he accepts the defeat humbly, Gary tells Ash that they WILL meet again._

_With three victories and a good place in the tournament secured, the Pokepals take an opportunity to reflect on where they have been, where they are now, and where they will go from there._

_Do these old pictures hold a lesson for our heroes? Find out!_

The Heart of the Cards, part 13: Memories

The group was just finishing up their dinner when there was a knock at the door. "Yes?" Ash called.

"It's me, Maya. May I come in?" Maya replied.

"Just a moment..." Ash helped Misty clear the table, then went over and let Maya in. "So...any news on the tournament?" he asked as he placed his dishes in the sink.

"I do have some news, but it can wait for now." Maya replied as she stretched out on the couch and waited as Misty brought out a large black book with 'PHOTOS: ORANGE ISLANDS' on the cover.

"Okay guys, gather 'round!" Misty called as she pulled up a chair for herself and opened the photo album. "Here we are at the Pokemart, getting ready to go to Valencia Island." she explained as she pointed out the first picture: the group standing outside the Pokemart.

"Here's Brock being silly for the camera." Ash explained, pointing at the next picture.

Maya took a glance at the stupid face Brock was making in the picture and chuckled as Misty turned the page. "Here's the dining hall on the blimp we traveled on."

"Kinda drab-looking..." Maya commented.

"Course, we found out later it was all a trap by Team Rocket!" Misty explained. She raised her eyebrows when she saw the next picture: a side view of the floor, with a big pink blob taking up most of the picture. "Huh?"

"I think in all the confusion that followed, you dropped the camera..." Ash began.

"...then Jigglypuff found it and accidently pressed the shutter, taking that picture." Brock explained. "I managed to get a better shot of Jigglypuff here..." and he pointed out the next picture: Jigglypuff peeking out from under a tablecloth.

"What happened?" Maya was curious.

"It's a long story..." Misty sighed as she pointed to the next picture. "This is Nurse Joy..."

"...and this is Misty dragging Brock away by the ear after he attempted a singing cowboy routine in front of Nurse Joy!" Ash laughed at the next picture, which depicted Misty dragging Brock, in full cowboy costume, away from the counter. A crowd stood in the background, curious to the scene. Ash stood in a corner, his face beet red.

"That explains the chaps, bandanna, spurs, boots, the ten gallon hat, and the guitar..." Maya giggled. "Wonder what he was singing?"

"A really flat and off-key rendition of _'Home on the Range'_" Misty grumbled. "I mean, his guitar playing's good...but his singing was getting on my nerves!"

"I do look the part, don't I, pardner?" Brock asked, playfully nudging Pikachu.

"Pipipika!" Pikachu replied. With that, he hopped off the couch and skittered off into the other room.

Misty stiffled a giggle at the next picture: Ash yelling something. "Hey, Nurse Joy, aim for the guitar!" she joked, doing a PERFECT impression of Ash.

"Who said Nurse Joy was looking for something to throw?" Ash mused. He smirked at the next picture: Nurse Joy looking embarrassed. "Nurse Joy is not amused." he commented in a dry voice, causing everyone to laugh.

"Oh! My favorite picture, right here!" Brock enthusiastically pointed at a picture of a young girl waving to the group. "This is Professor Ivy, the girl I stayed with."

"She's beautiful...." Maya commented.

"I even wrote a song for her." Brock continued. "Wanna hear it?"

"Yeah!" Maya and Ash chorused.

"I guess...but it better not be as bad as your last songwriting attempt..." Misty mused as she set Togepi down on her lap. "Although I will admit, you had a nice tune the last time..."

"Ivy liked it, so I hope you do too." Brock assured Misty as he stood up and stretched. "Be right back...gotta find my guitar." and he strolled off into the other room.

Misty smiled. "Well, if Brock's going to play his guitar and sing, this might not be so bad..." she thought as she bounced Togepi on her lap. "Besides, he sounds better when he plays..." Just then, Togepi started to chirp excitedly as the notes of a guitar being tuned drifted into the room. "You excited?" she cooed. "You wanna hear Brock sing, hmm?"

"Togi la la la la...." Togepi replied.

"I think he wants to hear you sing..." Misty commented as Brock settled into his chair, guitar in hand.

"Well, at least I have one fan..." Brock laughed as he double checked his tuning. "Okay...everyone ready?"

"Yeah!" the others cheered.

"Okay..." and Brock started a relaxing, but strangely catchy, melody...

(verse 1)_Well, I've lived to love life, and now I'm looking back_

_It's the end of the road, the last stop on the track_

_And I smile as I think of my true love once more,_

_The light of my life, the one I adore!_

(chorus) _She...she was the prize,_

_The prettiest girl and the loveliest eyes..._

_She...she was the prize,_

_Shiny black hair and those lovely,_

_Those lovely brown eyes..._

Ash started to snap his fingers along with the melody as Brock continued:

(verse 2) _Well, I met her one night, thus began our romance_

_I longed for a whisper, I hoped for a glance_

_Then, she turned, and she smiled, and I melted away,_

_And I knew I'd be with her till my dying day!_

(chorus) _She...she was the prize,_

_The prettiest girl and the loveliest eyes..._

_She...she was the prize,_

_Shiny black hair and those lovely,_

_Those lovely brown eyes..._

(verse 3) _We lay on the cliffs, and we walked hand in hand_

_We threw stones at the waves, and drew hearts in the sand_

_Without warning, clouds rolled in, and blackened the sun,_

_And when they rolled out, my light...she was gone!_

(chorus) _She...she was the prize,_

_The prettiest girl and the loveliest eyes..._

_She...she was the prize,_

_Shiny black hair and those lovely,_

_Those lovely brown eyes..._

Misty looked over at Togepi, who was moving his head in rhythm to the music, apparently mesmerized by the pling-plung of the guitar. She smiled and tapped her foot as Brock began the final verse:

(verse 4) _Now I've shed all my tears, and I've said my goodbyes_

_Now I'll lay myself down where my pretty girl lies_

_When I awake, I'll be honest, or more,_

_I'll be dancing a jig with the girl I adore!_

(chorus)_ She...she was the prize,_

_The prettiest girl and the loveliest eyes..._

_She...she was the prize,_

_Shiny black hair and those lovely,_

_Those lovely brown eyes..._

_Those lovely brown eyes..._

_Those lovely brown eyes..._

_Those lovely brown eyes..._

Brock continued to play for a little longer, then gave the strings one last strum, ending the song.

Misty was impressed. "Wow! That was actually a GOOD song, Brock!" she exclaimed.

"Bravo!" Maya led the applause. Ash whistled in agreement.

"Thank you..." Brock stood up and took a bow for his audience...

"Gi To-iiii!" Togepi begged.

"Pikapi?" Pikachu asked as he returned, dragging a second photo album behind him.

"You missed a good song, Pikachu." Ash replied. "I'll record Brock singing it later..."

"Pika!" and Pikachu gestured to the album he had found: a deep blue album with 'PHOTOS: HOUEN' on the cover.

"Pikachu wants you to see our Houen pictures next." Ash said to Misty.

"After we go through the Orange Island album." Misty reminded Ash, turning the page.

"Gi gi to-iiiii!!!" Togepi asked Brock, "playing" a pantomime guitar.

"Okay, okay, I'll do some background music for the pictures..." and Brock started another song as Ash studied the next page in the photo album.

"Here's a few pictures of her lab..." Ash commented as he glanced at the pictures. One of them showed Ivy's attendants examining a Vileplume, another picture depicted Ivy writing, and a third showed a group of Butterfrees congregated around a bush.

"The Vileplumes and Butterfrees are cute..." Maya noted as she leaned over to get a better look at the Butterfree picture.

"And here's Brock the Wonder Cleaner!" Misty joked, pointing at several pictures of several rooms of the Ivy house: one set of pictures showing the rooms in their original, messy state, complete with 'BEFORE' underneath them, the second set depicting Brock working, vacuuming, dusting, sweeping the floors, washing dishes, taking out the trash, and other chores. The set marked 'AFTER' showed the now clean rooms, complete with Brock smiling with pride over his work.

"Here's Brock and Ivy seeing us off..." Ash commented on the next picture: Brock, Ivy, and her attendants waving goodbye as Ash and Misty boarded a blimp.

Misty laughed over the next picture. "All hail the mighty Jigglypuff!" she joked, pointing out the picture of Ash kneeling before Jigglypuff.

"Here's Tangelo Island, where we landed." Ash explained, pointing at a picture of an island. Misty made a silly face at a passing Squirtle as the Ash in the picture laughed. "Pikachu figured out how to work the camera, so he took that picture."

"Here..." Misty pointed out Tracey in the next picture, battling three bullies as Ash looked on in the background. "This was our traveling companion, Tracey."

"So that's the famous Tracey you guys met this afternoon?" Brock asked.

"Yeah..." Ash replied.

"He looks pretty confident that he'll win in that picture." Brock mused. He moved his chair so that he was close to Misty, then took a good look at the picture as he continued his island song. "What's that blue blob in the background, close to Ash?" he asked, pointing out a large blue mass at the edge of the picture.

"That blue thing by Ash is supposed to be a Lapras, but I had a problem with the focus, so the Lapras came out all blurry." Misty explained as she turned the page. "This next page started a new roll of film."

Brock looked over at the next picture: Ash with a scared look on his face as Tracey yelled about something. "What's this all about?"

"Oh, I just told him Misty and I knew Professor Oak and...that happened, long story short." Ash stammered. He pointed out the next picture, which had scribbles all over it. "I call this one 'Jigglypuff Strikes Again!'" he joked.

"Yeah, Jigglypuff ruined that picture, which was SUPPOSED to be of a sunset..." Misty grumbled.

"Here we are, fixing to set sail on Lapras." Ash explained, pointing out the picture. Ash, Misty, and the Pokemon stood nearby Lapras, smiling as they climbed aboard.

"Here's a view of Maikan Island at sunrise." Misty pointed out the picture.

"Wow..." Maya was impressed.

"Ash in front of the Maikan Gym..." The next picture depicted Ash smiling confidently with the Gym in the background.

"What happened here?" Maya asked, pointing at a picture of Ash dripping wet.

"The Gym Leader's attendant sprayed me with water as I stopped to grab a coconut." Ash explained. "I wish Tracey hadn't taken that picture..."

"Here's some shots of the Gym from inside." Misty explained as she turned the page. "The stands...Tracey running up to get a good seat....more of the stands...the Gym Leader's chamber...and my personal favorite: Tracey notices the camera right as I snapped it." she joked, pointing at a picture of Tracey looking up from his sketchbook in surprise.

"I like the 'Uh oh....' look on his face!" Brock laughed.

"And if you want a pretty face to drool over, Brock..." Misty pointed out the next picture. "This is Sissy, the Gym Leader."

"Hmm..." Brock studied the Sissy picture for a moment. "I like that hairstyle...how did the battle against her go?"

"Well, it wasn't a battle _per se,_ it was more like an athletic competition!" Ash chuckled. He gestured to picture of a pool with a row of cans in the middle. "The 'battlefield', if you will."

"What did you have to do, play a shell game with the cans in the water?" Maya asked, curious.

"No...our Pokemon had to knock the cans over with Water Gun." Ash explained. "Here's Squirtle getting ready to try his luck with the cans." he noted, pointing out a picture of Squirtle doing a battle pose.

"What happened to you here?" Brock pointed out a picture of Ash squished against a palm tree. Tracey, Pikachu, and Lapras stood laughing in the background.

"Let's just say he went slip-sliding away....literally." Misty giggled, pointing at the ice floes in the water. "Ash celebrates getting the Coral Eye Badge." she explained, pointing at a picture of Ash dancing with joy as he held a small pink object in his hand.

Brock squinted at the picture. "Where? I can't see the badge."

"Me neither!" Maya complained. "Is is supposed to be that little pink thing he's holding?"

"Okay, okay, here's a close up of it I took after Ash calmed down a little...he was pretty pumped after winning the wave race." Misty mused as she pointed out the picture of the small badge in Ash's hand. "Here we are on Mandarin Island." she explained as she turned the page.

Brock looked at the picture of Ash getting showered with ticker tape. "What did Ash do to deserve a parade?" he asked.

"That was his reward from the mayor after he stopped the resident Rocket grunts, Butch and Cassidy, from controlling all the Pokemon." Misty began...

"Was there a marching band?" Brock asked.

"Yeah, you can see them in front of us." Ash pointed out some drummers in the background.

"And baton twirlers?"

"Yes."

"And a flagline?"

"Yes."

"And drum majors?"

"Yes..."

"And bagpipes?"

Misty groaned in disgust. "Don't remind me about the bagpipes, Ash...I had_ 'Mandarin the Brave'_ ringing in my ears for days afterward!"

"Yes, we even had bagpipes...much to Misty's chagrin." Ash sighed. "Is there anything ELSE you want to know about the parade, Brock?"

"Not anymore." Brock replied. "Let's move along to the next island."

"Agreed." Maya sighed.

"All right!" Ash leaned back in his chair as Misty turned the page. "The next pictures tell about one of our biggest adventures in the Orange Islands!"

"Oh, really?" Brock asked, interested.

"Yeah, we encountered a crystal Onix!" Misty exclaimed. "Ash, you can start the story..."

"Okay, I will." Ash moved closer to the photo album so he could point out the appropriate pictures. "Brock, some appropriate music, please..." Brock started another tropical melody as Ash began: "As we sailed to the next island, Sunburst..."

_"Sailing, sailing over the bounding main,"_ Brock interuppted, playing a rollicking melody. "_We won't step from our sailing ship till Ash comes home again!..." _He was about to sing more of the song until Misty gave him the Look. "Sorry..." He quickly resumed his earlier song.

Ash sighed. "ANYWAY....we received a message in a bottle from a girl named Marisa. She was curious as to whether or not we'd seen a crystal Onix."

"Here's a picture of her and her brother, Mateo." Misty explained, pointing out a picture of Ash posing with a young red-haired girl, with a boy in a red apron standing in the background. "We took it after we found the crystal Onix..."

"Well, Mateo wanted to see the crystal Onix more than his sister did." Ash continued, "primarily because he needed inspiration for his glass artwork. His grandfather had seen the crystal Onix many years ago, inspiring his own artwork. Mateo wanted to see if seeing the Onix would inspire him too. So, we all went down to the cave where the Onix supposedly lived..."

"Here's Tracey telling Marill where to find the Onix..." Misty explained, pointing out a picture of Tracey stooped beside his Marill.

"So after exploring the cave and getting chased by Team Rocket..." Ash continued, "we found the Onix! He wasn't too happy with Team Rocket for intruding on his territory, so we managed to get a few good shots of him moving..." He gestured to scenes of Team Rocket running from a blue Onix, taken from different angles. "Mateo was so happy for us helping him, he gave us some statues of our Pokemon." He pointed out a very realistic statuette of a Pikachu in the next picture.

"How cute, a pink Squirtle!" Maya cooed, pointing out a pink Squirtle napping in the grass in the next picture.

"That was taken on Pinkan Island...so named because of all the pink Pokemon there." Ash explained.

"Some more pink Pokemon..." Misty thumbed through a few pages of the album that were devoted to the unusual Pokemon. "And yes, I snapped a picture of Officer Jenny for you, Brock..." she giggled as she displayed a picture of Officer Jenny saluting.

"You know...I think I'll write a song about Officer Jenny and Nurse Joy!" Brock chuckled. With that, he set to work figuring out chords for a melody.

"Here we are helping an exacavation crew dig up Kabuto fossils." Ash explained, gesturing to a page of Kabuto pictures.

"So that's where they get all the Kabuto fossils..." Maya mused, impressed.

"Here's Ash doing his first attempt at voice acting on a showboat theater!" Misty giggled at the picture of Ash looking puzzled at a script. "Do I have to say that?" she joked in her Ash voice.

"Voice acting?" Brock asked. "What for?"

"Well...we met this girl, Kay, at the showboat theater." Ash explained. "and she did voice acting for her Raichu. The only problem was, the Raichu didn't want a thing to do with "speaking", so Kay couldn't act. Then Team Rocket came and crashed the show! After we chased them off, Kay was so happy, she asked me to act with her in that nights show!"

"What's it like voice acting?" Brock was quite interested.

"Well...it's kinda like having your hands tied behind your back and being told "Act!". You can't use the rest of your body, so you have to rely on your voice for everything." Ash explained.

"Did you have to sing while you acted?" Maya asked.

"Yeah..." Ash replied. "It's even harder to sing and stay in character, but Kay told me afterwards that I did a great job!"

"Ooh! Show Brock and Maya your Pikachu voice!" Misty begged.

"Okay...let me get into character here..." Ash cleared his throat, then spoke in a high pitched voice: "Greetings everyone, and welcome to the Pokemon Showboat!" Brock and Maya applauded.

"Why did the Pikachu cross the road?" Brock asked Ash.

"To prove the trainer that it wasn't chicken!" Ash replied in his Pikachu voice. Togepi thought this was wildly funny, and he laughed so hard, he nearly fell off of Misty's lap.

"That sounds great!" Maya giggled. "Do some singing, please!"

"'Kay!" Ash replied in his Pikachu voice, then returned to his normal voice for a moment. "Uh, Brock? Do you know the song _'Island Lady'_?

"Yeah, I can play that..." Brock assured Ash as he tuned a little more. "I can't wait to hear you sing as Pikachu!"

"This ought to be good!" Maya smiled as she relaxed on the sofa.

"You ready?" Brock asked Ash. Ash nodded and struck a dance pose. "Okay, I'm counting you off....and one, two, three, four..." he began to play a mildly catchy tune, over which Ash sang in his Pikachu voice:

_As I came in through Saffron City at the hour of twelve at night,_

_Who should I spy but an island lady washing her feet by the candlelight._

_First she washed them, then she dried them, over a fire of amber coals...._

_In all my life I ne'er did see a maid so sweet about the soul..._

_What for me toora loora laddy, what for me toora loora lay...._

_What for me toora loora laddy, what for me toora loora hey, hey hey!_ Brock chimed in with Ash on the chorus...

----------

"This is Marina, a Golduck trainer." Misty explained, pointing out a picture of a girl posing with a Golduck. "We rescued her Golduck, and I managed to control him enough to scare Team Rocket away!"

"All by yourself?" Maya was impressed. Misty nodded confidently. "That is so cool!"

Misty just smiled as she turned the page. "For a moment, I really thought my own Psyduck had evolved!" Everyone laughed at this. "Okay...Here is a Nurse Joy that looks a little different from your typical nurse..." she giggled, displaying the picture of a tan Nurse Joy to Brock.

"Perfect!" Brock suddenly exclaimed. "That picture just gave me the inspiration to write a Nurse Joy verse to my song!" With that, he set his guitar on a nearby stand, moved his chair to a nearby desk, grabbed a sheet of paper with music notes on it, and began writing. "Nurse...Joy....won't you please......" he wrote.

"How does the Officer Jenny verse go?" Maya asked.

"It goes like this..." and Brock began to read:

"Officer Jenny, can't you see?

You can lock me up and throw away the key.

Jenny, if lovin' you's a crime

Sentence me now, and I'll do the time!

My uniformed beauty's simply the best!

She's got my heart under house arrest!

But before that girl makes me her boy,

I'm head over heels...I'm head over heels for a nurse named Joy."

"And the chorus?" Ash asked.

"My personal favorite part so far!" Brock replied. "It goes:

'Jenny, oh Jenny...

Joy, oh Joy...

A one woman man's what I wanna be,

But there's two perfect girls for me!'

"Are you sure you didn't write 'two bazillion', or was two all that could fit on the paper?" Misty asked sarcastically.

"I figured that I didn't need that many zeroes, so I just wrote two." Brock replied, playing along with Misty. With that, he returned to writing, all the while listening as Misty continued to describe the other events captured in the album.

---------

"...and that concludes the Orange Island album." Misty concluded, closing up the album and putting it away.

"It sounds like you guys had fun out there in the Islands!" Maya smiled. "I wish I could go there one day..."

"Now for the Houen pictures!" Ash reached for the Houen album and opened it. "One last picture of Misty as we...or rather, I...set out to Houen. Misty entrusted me with the camera, so I took most of these at the beginning."

"Who's that?" Maya pointed out a picture of a brown haired girl with a red Poke Ball print bandanna on her head.

"This is May, my friend in Houen." Ash explained. "You know, the one I was writing a letter to a few days ago?

"Oh, that May!" Maya exclaimed. "Did you ever hear back from her?"

Ash sighed. "Not yet...it's been so long since I've heard from her...Once we got to Petalburg City, I tried to challenge May's dad, Norman, and failed."

"Hmm, who's this guy next to May?" Misty asked, pointing out a young black haired boy in the next picture.

"That's Max, May's little brother." Ash explained. "He might be small, but he's got enough brains to put an Alakazam to shame!"

"And this is where I rescued Ash and the others..." Brock explained, pointing out a picture depicting Forretress battling while May and Max looked on, horrified.

"May found the camera and took the next picture." Ash explained, showing off the picture of Ash and Brock hugging each other...

----------

"Wow...you guys have certainly been through a lot!" Maya began as the group got ready for bed. "Before I leave though, I'll share my news with you."

"What is it? A new challenge?" Ash asked.

"Actually, it's something called the Triple Challenge...you duel three opponents, and if you win, you get a rare card!" Maya explained. "Interested?"

"Cool!" Ash was excited.

"We're gonna go for it!" Misty agreed as she snuggled up in her covers.

"All right, guys...see you in the morning." and Maya turned out the light as she left.

What kind of surprises await our heroes in the Triple Challenge? Stay tuned!


	14. The Heart of the Cards, part 14: Triple ...

_Last time on "Pokemon: The Heart of the Cards"..._

_With all the action and duels taking place, the Pokepals decide to take a moment and reminisce about past adventures. It proves to be a night of laughter and song as stories of the Orange Islands and Houen are shared and relived._

_But maybe the past holds a lesson for the present: Maya informs the group of the Triple Challenge, a special compitition open to all tournament competitors!_

_Can Ash win the Triple Challenge? Find out!_

The Heart of the Cards, part 14: Triple the Pleasure, Triple the Fun!

"Unngh..." Ash stretched as he climbed out of bed. "Good morning, guys!" he called to the others.

"Mornin'...." Brock yawned as he kicked the covers off of himself and stretched. "Are you going to need the shower anytime soon?"

"Nah, I took one last night." Ash assured Brock as he pulled a fresh shirt over his head and tossed his pajamas in the laundry hamper.

"Okay..." Brock was about to walk in the bathroom until he heard the shower starting, followed by Misty singing _"I wanna be a star, star, star...gonna have my name up in lights..."_

"Looks like Misty beat you to it!" Ash laughed as he admired himself in the mirror. "How do I look?"

"Wait!" Brock hurried over to the hat stand by the door, grabbed Ash's cap, and plopped it on Ash's head. "There you go...now you're beautiful."

"Thanks!" Ash smiled as he walked into the kitchen, where he discovered Pikachu hungrily admiring the boxes of cereal in the pantry. "Which kind do you want, Pikachu?" he asked.

"Pika pi!" Pikachu replied as he pointed out Ash's favorite cereal: Cosmic Crunch.

"Okay, you can have some of my cereal..." Ash got down the cereal, got a bowl for himself and a small bowl for Pikachu. "Here you go..." and he filled Pikachu's bowl to the top.

"Pika..." Pikachu happily nibbled on the small star-shaped nuggets as Misty walked in the kitchen in her royal blue bathrobe and settled down next to Ash, who was practically inhaling his cereal. "Pikapi! Pika!" he told Misty.

"You like Cosmic Crunch, huh?" Misty replied as she fished one of the star nuggets from the box. "I think I'll try these to introduce Togepi to solid food." With that, she walked over to Togepi's crib and held out the cereal nugget. "Want this?"

"Togi..." Togepi picked up the cereal nugget and took a bite...

"Okay...the moment of truth..." Misty mused, clasping her hands together. "If he can hold that down without throwing up, I can begin to wean him off the formula!"

"Mmm..." Ash reached for the box of Cosmic Crunch and poured himself another helping, while Misty watched Togepi intently. "Did he swallow it?"

"Yeah...now we have to watch him for a few minutes to see if he holds it down." Misty explained.

"Come on..." Ash cooed in encouragement. He made a few clicking noises with his tongue to try and get a response from Togepi. Togepi just giggled at Ash and began to look for something to play with.

"YESS!!!!" Misty cried. "He did it!"

"Yeah!!!!!" Ash agreed.

"What's all the celebration about?" Brock asked as he entered the kitchen and stuck two pieces of bread in the toaster.

"Togepi just took his first bite of solid food!" Misty cried.

"Really?" Brock smiled and glanced at Togepi, who was playing with some blocks. "You're getting to be a big guy, you know that?"

"Togi to!" Togepi chirped.

"I'm going to tell Maya!" Misty cried as she cleared off her place at the table. "Oh, Ash...make that clicking noise again; I think Togepi likes it."

"Okay..." Ash clicked his tongue a few more times, causing Togepi to giggle again.

---------

"What took you so long?" Maya asked as the group arrived in the grand hall for the Triple Challenge, where a large crowd had apparently gathered. Several arenas had been set up the night before, and several duels were already underway

"We had to celebrate a milestone with Togepi." Misty smiled as she pulled up a chair and got comfortable. "He ate his first bite of solid food today!"

"Aww..." Maya cooed. "What did you feed him?"

"Oh, just a piece of Cosmic Crunch out of Ash's bowl." Misty explained. "It was one of the normal star nuggets, not the marshmallows."

"Great!" Maya smiled for a moment, then her eyebrows narrowed as she reached for her rules sheet. "Okay, here are the rules for the Triple Challenge...

--The Triple Challenge is open to both the public and tournament contestants

--You challenge and defeat three consecutive opponents in a standard match--one match, four prizes. No exceptions!

--When you win a match, inform the ref you're participating in the Triple Challenge, and that victory will be counted toward your three wins.

--You are allowed to make deck modifications BEFORE the match..."

"What about for teams? Are there any rules concerning teams?" Misty asked.

Maya studied the rules sheet for a moment, then replied, "These two rules apply for teams:

--Sponsors are not allowed to view any events of the Challenge. If you need to contact your sponsor for any reason, inform an official.

--The team must choose someone to represent them in the Challenge.

And if you do win the challenge..." Maya unzipped her bag and displayed a card to the group. "you win this card: Mewtwo lv. 53." Misty and Brock admired the card, impressed.

"I'll duel in the Challenge and win that Mewtwo card!" Ash announced, turning his cap backwards. "Bring it on!"

"Wow...Ash must be raring to go, eh Brock?" Misty was surprised by Ash's sudden enthusiasm.

"He probably is..." Brock mused as he relaxed in his chair and reached for another commentary sheet.

"Now all we have to do is wait for a challenge!" Ash laughed. He reached for a piece of paper and started to draw a picture.

---------

"Boy, some challenge..." Misty groaned as she watched some of the other duels taking place. "It's been an hour, and we haven't been challenged yet!"

"Be patient, Misty." Brock assured her as he watched the crowds of people mill about. "We'll get a challenge sooner or later..."

"I'm going to go mingle for a while and see if I can find someone for Ash to duel." Misty told Brock as she stood up from her chair. "Be back in a little while." With that, she disappeared into the crowd.

Just then, Ash felt his eyes being covered by a mysterious pair of hands. "Hey, what the..."

"Guess who?" a familiar voice giggled.

"May?" Ash guessed. "Is that you?"

"SURPRISE!!!" and May lifted her hands from Ash's eyes.

"May, hi!" Brock put away his tournament bracket and gave May a hug. "Fancy seeing you here!"

"Oof, I kinda forgot about your powerful hugs, Brock..." May gasped as the two friends embraced. "What's your secret?"

"If I told you, it wouldn't be a secret anymore, now would it?" Brock smiled and winked at May, then relaxed in his chair and observed the crowds some more.

"So, what brings you here to Kanto?" Ash asked, curious.

"I heard that there was a tournament going on from Max, got your letter a few days after that, so after a little convincing..." May began as she dug a Skitty tin from her bag. "I borrowed some of Max's old cards to build a deck. I made sure to take the ones he didn't use anymore...then I trekked down to Lilycove Harbor and caught the latest ship headed for Kanto...and here I am!"

She stared at her Skitty tin for a moment, then mused, "I'd really like to duel somebody and see if this deck is any good..."

"Care to try me out for size?" Ash smiled.

"Yeah!" May hurried over to the closest arena and stepped up to the Ruby platform, which caused the scoreboard to display her deck information: RUBY RISING STAR

A referee approached Ash as he stepped up to the Sapphire platform. "Are you participating in the Triple Challenge?"

"Yes, sir." Ash replied as he organized his deck and observed his deck information: SAPPHIRE FLAME OF CONFUSION

Misty looked up at the scoreboard and compared the stats: RUBY 1 5 4 53 270 to SAPPHIRE 1 5 4 53 260 "Whew...it looks like it's gonna be a close match."

"Here we go..." Brock noted as the ref blew the whistle, signifying May had won the toss.

---------

"Go, Torchic!" May announced as she placed her first card, Torchic lv. 10, into the arena.

"Chic!" the Torchic chirped with excitement

"Showtime, Treecko!" Ash placed his Treecko in the arena.

"Ruby's turn!"

May first attached a Lightning Energy to Torchic, then commanded, "Torchic, Peck the Treecko!" The Torchic flew over and began to furiously peck the Treecko in the stomach, knocking it over. Ash's HP went down by 10.

"Sapphire's turn!"

Ash attached a Grass Energy to his Treecko, then commanded. "Treecko, Tail Slap!" The Treecko raced over and slammed its tail into the Torchic, making May's HP go down by 10.

"Ruby's turn!"

May attached a Fire Energy to her Torchic and called "Torchic! Launch some fireworks for this crowd!"

The ref's whistle interrupted her command. "If tails, Ruby discards an Energy card!" The coin went up...

"Heads!" May called, smiling confidently as an O came up on the scoreboard. The Torchic took a deep breath and blew out sparkling stars of different colors, causing some in the crowd to ooh and ahh.

The colorful attack turned out to be too much for Ash's Treecko, so it fell, defeated. Ash stood, unfazed for a moment. "_Wow...May has grown up a lot since our adventures in Houen...she did great. But, a battle is a battle...._ He searched his bench for another card as May grabbed a prize. _"Where did it go...I know Abra's on here someplace..."_ He finally grabbed the top card and looked at it. _"Lotad? One of Brock's best cards? How did it wind up in my deck?"_ he wondered.

"Sapphire, select a Pokemon!" the ref called, snapping Ash out of his thoughts. He placed Lotad in the arena as the ref called "Sapphire's turn!"

Ash calmly attached a Water Energy to Lotad, then commanded "Lotad, Tackle the Torchic!" The Lotad scuttled up to the Torchic and rammed it in the stomach, causing May's HP to go down by 20.

"Ruby's turn!" announced the ref.

"Torchic! Give'em some more Fireworks!" May commanded, motioning to the ref for the coin toss. The coin went up...and landed on heads! The Torchic hurled another onslaught of fire, color and sound, but the Lotad didn't even flinch.

May was puzzled. "Huh? Why didn't your HP go down?" she asked, noting Ash's stats: SAPPHIRE 3 4 4 48 220

"You forgot that Water beats Fire." Ash calmly explained as he attached another Water Energy to Lotad. "Lotad! Blot attack!" The Lotad smothered the Torchic in its lilypad, defeating it.

"Hmm..." May readied her next card as Ash selected a prize. "Go, Skitty!"

"Skitty!" the Skitty mewed as it faced Ash's Lotad.

"Ruby's turn!" called the ref.

"Skitty, Scratch the Lotad!" May commanded. The Skitty ran up and scratched the Lotad on the face, causing Ash's HP to go down by 10.

"Sapphire's turn!"

"Lotad, Tackle!" Ash commanded. The Lotad slammed into the Skitty with such force, it bumped its head against the Ruby platform. May's HP went down by 20, leaving her at an even 200.

"Ruby's turn!"

"Check this out!" and May overlaid her next card, Delcatty lv. 35, on top of the Skitty, making a Delcatty appear in the arena, boosting her HP by 20. "Delcatty, Lunge attack!" she called. The Delcatty pounced on the surprised Lotad, lowering Ash's HP by 20.

"Sapphire's turn!"

"Oh yeah? Take a look at this!" and Ash overlaid Lombre lv. 30 on top of the Lotad. "Lombre, Fury Swipes!"

The ref blew the whistle, signaling a coin toss. The first coin went up....and landed on heads!

"Yeah!" Misty cheered from the sideline.

"Come on..." Brock coaxed as the second coin went up...and landed on tails. "Oh well...at least he only needed one to knock Delcatty out anyway..."

Back in the arena, Ash smiled confidently as the Lombre furiously clawed at the Delcatty, defeating it.

"Okay...let's see..." May grabbed the next card off her bench. "How about...Bulbasaur!" she announced, placing a Bulbasaur lv. 13 in the arena.

"Ruby's turn!"

"Bulbasaur, Vine Whip!" May commanded. The Bulbasaur fired a vine from its bulb that struck the Lombre so hard, it slumped to the ground, defeating it. Ash watched as the Lombre card floated into his discard. _"Brock...I'm sorry..."_

"All right! We're even!" May cried as she grabbed one of her three prizes. "I feel confident I'll win now!"

"Not for long!" Ash cried, revealing his next card: Pineco lv 12. "Meet Pineco!"

-----------

"Pineco...isn't that one of your cards too?" Misty asked Brock.

"It is..." Brock replied as he wrote a few notes on Ash's progress. "Ash's deck doesn't have any Water Pokemon in it, so I gave him some of mine to help him out."

Misty smiled. "That was nice of you..."

"Don't mention it." Brock replied, playfully nudging Misty.

----------

"Sapphire's turn!"

Ash attached a second Psychic Energy to his waiting Abra, then drew his next card: Kadabra lv. 38! He quickly overlaid that on top of his Abra, making a flash of light appear on his bench. _"May is sure gonna be in for a surprise..."_ he smiled as he ended his turn.

"Ruby's turn!"

May overlaid her next card, Ivysaur lv. 32, over her Bulbasaur, making an Ivysaur appear in its place. Next, she attached a Pluspower to Ivysaur. "Ivysaur, Razor Leaf with Pluspower!" she commanded. The Ivysaur fired a wave of leaves with a red aura at the Pineco, defeating it.

"Yeah!" May cheered as she grabbed one of her two remaining prizes. "Is your next Pokemon going to be that easy?" she asked as she danced on the platform excitedly.

"Don't count on it!" Ash retorted, placing Kadabra lv. 38 in the arena. He turned his cap back as the ref announced "Sapphire's turn!" Next, he attached a third Psychic Energy to the Kadabra. "Kadabra, Super Psy!" The Kadabra formed a pulsing ball of blue energy in its hands and fired it at the Ivysaur! The explosion was so bright, it also blinded the audience.

May watched in horror as her Ivysaur floated out of the arena. "Wow, you're pretty good...but not as good as this next one!" With that, she laid Plusle lv 18 in the arena.

"Ruby's turn!"

"Plusle, Thundershock!" May commanded. The Plusle unleashed a crackling thunderbolt, throwing the Kadabra back. Ash's HP went down by 10.

"Sapphire's turn!"

"Kadabra, Super Psy again!" Ash called. Everyone shielded their eyes as another ball of energy struck its target, defeating it.

"Game set!" the ref called. "Sapphire wins!" The crowd cheered as Ash and May stepped down from the platforms and shook hands.

----------

"You did a good job, May..." Ash smiled as he leafed through his latest booster pack. "Maybe those contests are good for something after all!"

"Actually, I think I'll build my own deck and see if I can get a tournament going in Houen!" May giggled as she turned to leave. "Although...I did have a great time dueling."

"The pleasure's all mine." Ash smiled as he gave May one last hug. "Take care!"

"I will!" May assured Ash.

"And good luck with your other duels too!" Brock added. He and Ash waved goodbye as May disappeared into the crowd.

Just then, Misty returned and settled into a nearby chair. "No luck finding challengers..."

"I got challenged by May!" Ash exclaimed.

"Really?" Misty was impressed. "How did that go?"

"Well, she came not long after you left..." Ash began. "and she actually had some good cards, but in the end, she was no match for Kadabra!"

"I wish I could've seen that..." Misty sighed as she continued to watch the crowds...

What will happen next in the Triple Challenge? Stay tuned!


	15. The Heart of the Cards, part 15: A Shock...

_Last time on "Pokemon: The Heart of the Cards"..._

_Ash begins the Triple Challenge with an unexpected surprise: May is in town for the tournament, so she challenges Ash for a duel! Although May puts up a good fight, Ash ultimately triumphs, inching him one step closer to a rare card._

_What will happen next in the challenge? Stay tuned!_

The Heart of the Cards, part 15: A Shocking Personality

"That was quite a duel you fought against May!" Brock smiled as he took his own cards from Ash's deck. "I knew that Lotad and Mudkip would help!"

"Lotad did a good job, but I didn't get a chance to use Mudkip." Ash replied as he relaxed in a nearby chair and watched the passersby.

"That's okay..." Brock assured his friend, putting an arm around Ash's shoulder. "If you ever want to use my cards, just ask me, okay?"

"Okay..." Ash stooped down and cradled Pikachu in his arms. "How do you think I did, Pikachu?"

"Pika pika pi, pikapi..." Pikachu began, gesturing to the scoreboard to prove his point, "pika pi pi pikachu!" With that, he gave Ash a playful static shock.

"You thought I was going to lose when May took the lead?" Ash mused. Pikachu nodded. "Do you think we'd be celebrating if I lost?" Pikachu shook his head no. "Then come celebrate with me!" Pikachu squealed with delight as Ash hoisted him in the air.

"Aww..." Misty commented. "They look cute when they play together."

"I'll say..." Brock started, and was about to say more until he noticed a nearby lounge close to one of the portable arenas, where Nurse Joy was sitting, apparently engrossed in a novel.

Misty noticed Brock's thoughtful expression and glanced over at the lounge window. "What is it, Brock?

"Hmmm..." Brock thought a little bit longer, then turned towards the grand hall exit. "Excuse me for a moment...." and he disappeared into the crowd.

"What's he doing?" Ash wondered.

"Probably left to concoct some elaborate scheme to woo Nurse Joy...but who knows...He could've gone back to get something from the room or take a bathroom break...who knows..." Misty sighed. "We'll just wait here...

---------

After an hour, Ash and Misty were still waiting for Brock to return. Ash paced the floor by his chair, and Misty just watched some of the other duels. Finally, Ash collapsed in his chair. exhausted. "What's taking him so long? You'd think he'd be back by now..." No sooner had he said this, the lights on a makeshift stage went up, and a catchy melody began to play over the speakers. Then, Brock appeared in a sparkling red jacket, sparkling black pants, and black shoes to match. A top hat with a red stripe on it sat on his head, completing the look.

Misty then heard a _clack-clack-clackety-clack_ noise coming from the stage as Brock danced to the music. "What's that?"

"Pika pi!" Pikachu replied, pointing at Ash's shoes.

"It's his shoes making all that noise?" Misty asked, puzzled.

Ash watched the dance with interest. "I didn't even know Brock could tap dance!"

"He is quite good..." Misty mused as Brock began to sing as he danced:

_Oh-wo-over and over..._

_I try to prove my love to you..._

_Over and over..._

_What more can I do?_

_Over and over,_

_My friends say I'm a fool..._

_But oh-wo-over and over..._

_I'll be a fool for you!..._

Just then, Misty got an idea. "Come on, Ash!" She grabbed Ash's hand and dragged him to the stage.

"Hey, wait, Mistyyyyyy!!!!!" Ash protested as he tripped over stray rocks, catches in the carpet, and whizzing past other people, all the way to the stage behind Brock, just as Brock sang _'Cause you've got..._

_Personality..._ Misty sang, kicking up her legs.

"Misty...I can't dance!" Ash complained, trying his hardest to kick up his legs like Misty was.

"Quit complaining and kick!" Misty ordered. With that, she began to sing a backup melody to Brock's song:

_"Walk...._ Brock sang.

"_The personality..._ Misty and Ash echoed.

_Talk...._ Brock continued, skipping across the stage as he danced.

_"The personality..."_ the others echoed.

_"Smile...."_ Brock twirled a little as he ascended a small stairway in front of the makeshift chorus line, which had now grown to include some curious bystanders.

_"The personality..."_

_"Charm..."_ Brock continued, doing some kicking along with his chorus line.

_"The personality..."_

_"Love..."_ Brock struck a pose among the line....

"_The personality..."_

_"Plus you've got a great big he-ah-art!"_ Brock sang, dancing down the stairway on the stage towards Nurse Joy, who had come out of the lounge to see what was going on. She giggled as Brock sang _"So over..._

_"Over and over..."_ Misty and Ash echoed.

"_And over..."_ Brock continued, halfway skipping as he danced.

_"Over and over..."_ Misty and Ash echoed again.

_"Oh, I'll be a fool for you..."_ Brock sang, pointing at Nurse Joy on the word 'you'. Nurse Joy stifled a giggle as she continued to watch the show.

_"Over and over..."_ the chorus line echoed.

_"Now over..."_ Brock was approaching his starting point.

_"Over and over..."_

"_and over..."_ Brock waved to Officer Jenny as she entered the room, interested.

_"Over and over..."_

"_What more can I do?"_ Brock sang, smiling at the two girls.

Officer Jenny turned to Nurse Joy. "So, what inspired Mr. Lovebird here to do this?"

"Well, I have to admit, this is quite a show!" Nurse Joy laughed as Brock sang _"Cause you've got..." _again, restarting the chorus.

"Hmm...the chorus line's a nice touch...and Lover-boy looks good in sparklies...." Officer Jenny noted as the music went into a dance break, allowing Brock to dance solo.

----------

Meanwhile, in a backstage area, Team Rocket waited, listening to the show going on out on the stage. "Okay, guys...you know the plan?" James asked everyone.

"And you also know why we're here?" Jessie asked.

"Yeah, I know!" Meowth exclaimed, confident in the latest plot the team had concocted.

"Okay, why are we here?" James asked with a sly smirk.

"'Cause we've got..." Meowth began. "Da personality!"

"The personality?" Jessie and James looked at each other, confused.

_"Da personality...da personality....da personality...."_ Meowth continued to sing and kick up his legs. "Everybody now!..._da personality_...."

"Wobba! Wobba!" Wobbufett also joined in the dancing.

"Okay, besides the personality, why are we here?" Jessie sighed, exasperated as Meowth's sudden burst into song.

"Quiet down! I'm trying to watchda dancer onda stage!" Meowth shushed as Brock continued his dance, mesmerized by the steps.

James looked out on the stage. "You know...I have a better idea..." and he dragged Jessie and Meowth into a costume storage closet, slamming the door behind him. "We'll dress up and blend into the chorus line...then when the song's over, we'll take Pikachu!"

"Great idea!" Jessie called as she rummaged through the various suits, dresses, hats, masks, and other props. She emerged from the pile wearing a pale yellow dress. "How's this?"

"Perfect, darling!" James replied as he threw on a pinstripe shirt and small hat, also grabbing a cane from the pile of props. "Okay! Let's go!" The three Rockets raced onto the darkened part of the stage and squeezed into the chorus line.

"Hey!" one girl complained as Jessie squeezed herself in.

"Pardon me, sir..." James scrunched himself in between two boys, right as the music concluded the solo.

---------

Brock posed as the music paused for a moment, then sang again:

_Wo-wo-wo..._

_Oh-wo-over and over,_

_I said that I love you..._ He tapped a step in rhythm to the music as he descended the stairway.

_Over and over..._

_Honey, love, it's the truth!_ Officer Jenny couldn't resist laughing at this.

_Over and over..._

_They still say I'm a fool!_ Some curious girls giggled as they watched the unfolding routine.

_But oh-wo-over and over..._

_I'll be a fool for you!_

_'Cause you got..._ Brock skipped over to a spot facing Officer Jenny as he started the chorus again.

_Personality..._ sang the chorus line, which had now swelled to over 100 people.

_"Walk...._

_"The personality..._

_"Talk..."_

_"The personality..._

_"Smile..."_

_"The personality..._

_"Charm..."_

_"The personality..._

_"Love..._

_"The personality..._

_"Plus you've got a great big he-ah-art! So over..._

_"Over and over..."_

_"And over..."_

_"Over and over..."_

_"Oh, I'll be a fool for you..."_ Brock pointed at Officer Jenny this time, causing her to smile a little, but she was also somewhat embarrassed.

_"Over and over..."_

_"Now over..."_

_"Over and over..."_

_"And over..."_

_"Over and over..."_

_"What more can I do? 'Cause you've got..."_

_Personality..._

_"Walk...._

_"The personality..._

_"Talk..."_

_"The personality..._

_"Smile..."_

_"The personality..._

_"Charm..."_

_"The personality..._

_"Love..._

_"The personality..._

_"Plus you've got a great big he-ah-art! So over..._

_"Over and over..."_

_"And over..."_

_"Over and over..."_

_"Oh, I'll be a fool for you..."_

_"Over and over..."_

_"Now over..."_

_"Over and over..."_

_"And over..."_

_"Over and over..."_

_"What more can I do? 'Cause you've got..."_

----------

James could feel the sweat forming on his head as he continued to kick up his legs. He, Jessie, and Meowth had been only kicking for a few minutes, but to him, it felt like several hours. "Hey, Jessie?" he whispered.

"What?" Jessie asked.

"Please remind me why we're kicking our legs like this..." James sighed. "My legs are getting tired...

"We're supposed to! Now quit complaining and sing!" Jessie retorted as the chorus began again.

-----------

Brock smiled as he danced, apparently pleased with himself. Not only had he gotten the attention of two girls, but he had also attracted an entire crowd that liked him, too. Pleased with this thought, he belted out another chorus. But when he got to _"Plus you've got a great big he-ah-art!",_ there was a sudden crash from offstage, causing the entire chorus line to gasp.

"What's going on?" Ash asked, apparently panicked. Everyone else fled the stage as Jessie and James appeared on the stairwell behind Brock.

"And you've got a great big mouth!" Jessie chided Brock.

"That's not how the song goes!" Brock protested.

"Who cares how the song goes? We're taking the stage now!" and Jessie stuck out her foot, sending Brock falling to the ground with a thud.

Misty hurried over and tended to Brock's injuries. "Are you okay? Anything feel broken?"

"Not really..." Brock brushed himself off and eased himself to his feet. "But I'm quite steamed because Team Rocket ruined my show!" He reached for a Poke Ball and got ready to throw it, but before he could, his music suddenly started again! "Huh?"

"Oh-wo-over and over...we've tried to crash this show..." Jessie taunted, still doing the chorus line kick.

"Over and over...we want the cards and dough...." James continued the taunt.

"Over and over, you'll regret calling us fools...."

"And over and over...we'll see who's the fool!"

"Jessie!"

"James!"

"Team Rocket! Dancing on at the speed of light!"

"You want to two step with us? Then prepare to fight!"

"Meowth! That's right!" Meowth added, bounding down the starway with a net.

"Pikachu!" Ash commanded, "Thunderbolt, now!"

"Not so fast!" and Meowth threw the net around Pikachu, rendering him unable to attack or escape.

"No!" Ash cried as Meowth brought the net with Pikachu closer to the stairway. He watched, panicked, as Pikachu inched closer and closer to capture....

"Hold it right there!" a voice called.

"Huh?" Jessie turned and saw a black haired boy running in their direction from the sound booth, with Maya not very far behind. "How dare you interrupt our work?"

"Try saying that to Blaze!" the boy taunted, readying a Poke Ball...

"Wait, Michael!" Maya called to the boy. "Try putting on some music for a distraction! We need to free the Pikachu first!"

"Okay!" Michael hurried up to the sound booth and began experimenting with the different tapes, CDs, and other equipment.

Ash scratched his head, puzzled. "I didn't know you had a boyfriend, Maya..."

"Oh, Michael's one of my colleagues on the circuit...he chairs the Junior circuit, where kids can battle." Maya explained. "We met when he was coaching a team at one of their tournaments, where I happened to be doing an exhibition. Since then, we've been good friends!"

"How sweet..." Brock smiled as he changed back into his casual clothes, then grabbed a few Poke Balls in preparation for battle. Just then, a jazzy melody began to drift over the speakers...

Jessie gasped when she heard what was playing over the speakers. "Oh no..."

"ANYTHING but the Mexican Hat Dance!" James cried, shocked.

Wobbufett, meanwhile, grabbed all the hats in the immediate vicinity, laid them out in a row, and began to stomp all over them, all the while crying "Wobba, Wobba!" with immense delight.

"Hey, dat looks like fun!" Meowth cried, apparently amused by how much fun Wobbufett was having. He dropped the net containing Pikachu, hurried over to some of the hats that had been spared the stomping treatment, and started to jump all over them as well, all the while crying _"Arriba! Arriba! Arriba!"._

"Oh, no...not you too, Meowth!" Jessie sighed, unamused by all the hat-stomping and yelling.

----------

Maya smiled as Michael worked on cutting Pikachu free. "How did you find that song?"

"Oh, it just so happened to be the next song on the tape that was in there." Michael laughed as he cut the last piece of rope. "There you go, little guy!" he cooed as Pikachu wriggled free of the ropes.

"Pika!" Pikachu replied as he skittered back to Ash's side, where was welcomed with a huge hug.

"Thank you so much, Michael...how can I ever repay you?" Ash smiled as he cuddled Pikachu.

"Don't mention it!" Michael replied, grabbing the Pokeball he had brought from the sound booth. "Go, Blaze!" With that, he hurled the Poke Ball in the Rockets' direction, revealing a Blaziken.

Jessie looked over and studied the hefty bird Pokemon. "Oh, it's a challenge you want?" she growled. "Fine! Let's duel!" She grabbed one of her own Poke Balls and tossed it to the floor. "Go for it, Seviper!"

"Hissss!!!!" the Seviper replied as it warily eyed its opponent.

"You too, Cacnea!" James also hurled a Poke Ball to the floor, revealing Cacnea.

"Pikachu! Thunderbolt!" Ash commanded. Pikachu began to charge up for the attack...

"Cacnea, Doubleslap!" James commanded. Cacnea's prickly hands sent Pikachu flying to the floor, dazed.

"Seviper, Bite the Pikachu!" Jessie commanded. The Seviper lunged for Pikachu's neck, but Pikachu ran out of the way, causing Seviper to leave a mark in the floor.

"Blaze! Take out Cacnea with Blaze Kick!" Michael commanded.

"Ken..." The Blaziken focused its power until flames appeared on its feet, then kicked Cacnea in the face! Cacnea fell to the floor with a thud, defeated.

"We're not through yet!" Jessie yelled. "Seviper...!"

"Pikachu, you know what to do?" Michael whispered.

"CHUUUUUU!!!!!" Pikachu unleashed a giant Thunderbolt.

Blaze struck a victory pose as Team Rocket went flying into the air. "Looks like Team Rocket's blasting off AGAAAAAINNNN!!!!!"....ping

---------

"Thank you for helping us out today, Michael." Maya began as the group returned to their room for the evening.

"Anytime!" Michael laughed. "In fact, if you need me to bust Team Rocket again, give me a call!" Everyone laughed as Michael settled in on the couch. "I hope that's the last we'll see of them..."

"Oh, Maya, you'll never guess what Brock did today..." Ash began as he made himself a sandwich.

"What?" Maya looked up from a magazine, interested.

"Brock can tap dance!" Ash chuckled. "He did an entire song and dance routine to impress Nurse Joy, complete with a chorus line!"

_"Pika pika chu, pika pika chu...."_ Pikachu sang, kicking up his legs to prove his point. Togepi noticed Pikachu dancing and tried to follow along, but soon lost his balance and fell to the floor with a plop.

"He did? I would've loved to see that!" Maya laughed. "In fact, I wonder what it might have looked like if YOU were dancing!"

"Well, I've had dancing lessons before, when I was little..." Ash mused as he grabbed a second pair of tap shoes from his bag and put them on. "...and I got to be pretty good, but before I could seriously pursue dancing, they got too expensive for Mom and Dad to afford."

"How sad..." Michael mused. He was about to say more when Brock entered the room carrying a piece of paper and a pencil. "What's that?" he asked, pointing at the paper.

"Oh...this is a song I'm writing about Officer Jenny and Nurse Joy...at least the lyrics, anyway..." Brock replied as he sat down at a nearby desk and began to write. "I'm having trouble writing the verse about Nurse Joy, though..."

"Maybe I can help!" Michael pulled up his chair next to Brock and looked at the paper. "Jenny, oh Jenny....Joy, oh Joy...a one woman man's what I wanna be...but there's two perfect girls for me...that's a pretty good chorus, and I like the Officer Jenny verse..." he commented.

"My problem..." Brock pointed out the first line of the second verse. "is that I can't think of a good word that rhymes with 'please'...all I've come up with is 'freeze', 'breeze', and 'sneeze'."

"Hmm..." Michael studied the first line of the verse. "Nurse Joy, won't you please.....how about disease?"

"Yeah!" Brock grabbed the paper away from Michael and wrote down his suggestion. "Cure...me....of...this...bad disease....oh Joy, the diagnosis please..." he mused as he wrote, then hummed in thought some more. "Now what?"

"How do you usually feel when you see Nurse Joy?" Micheal asked.

"Well, I feel sick to my stomach, and I feel like I can't stand..." Brock explained. Then, he smiled. "That's it!" and he furiously wrote some more. "When I see your face, my knees get weak!" he exclaimed as he wrote the phrase down.

"Hey, guys...Ash wants to do a tap dance!" Maya called from the piano, getting everyone's attention.

"This I gotta see, wonder if it's anything like my routine?" Brock wondered as he folded up the paper with his lyrics on it and shoved it in his pocket.

"Ready, Ash?" Maya asked, playing a slow piano chord.

"Yeah..." Ash replied. "I call this little number 'An Ode to Pokemon Channel'..." he told the others as he struck a pose.

"Channel 11? Pokemon Channel?" Michael was interested.

Maya picked up the tempo, and Ash began to dance across the floor and sing:

_"Everybody do the Pikachu rag...."_

_Look up and simile and don'tcha even get lag...._

_Look in my eyes and repeat after me, he sang, kneeling down in front of Pikachu_

_Channel 11 and the moment you see..."_

_Those Pokemon dancing in the chorus,_

_How they're doing so much for us,_

_And we'll never leave'em, not even for money bags!!!!_ He struck a pose to finish.

"Pikapi! Pika! Pika!" Pikachu cried as he led the applause.

"Encore!" Michael agreed.

Ash took another bow for his audience, then decided to show off his moves, starting with easy steps, then working his way up to steps hard enough for professional dancers.

"Wow!" Misty watched, impressed as Ash continued...

Who will the Pokepals' next challenger be? Stay tuned!


	16. The Heart of the Cards, part 16: Full St...

_Last time, on "Pokemon: The Heart of the Cards"..._

_Ash and his friends continue to make strides in the Triple Challenge! With a win against May behind him, Ash only needs two more wins to sweep the challenge!_

_But mayhem ensues when Brock decides to try and woo Nurse Joy with a song and a dance. However, the show turns out to be short lived, and the group ends up crossing paths with an old enemy: Team Rocket._

_Thankfully, Maya and her friend Michael come and aid the group in chasing Team Rocket away, earning the group a new ally._

_Who will Ash's next opponent be? Will Team Rocket return and try again to capture Pikachu? Find out!_

The Heart of the Cards, part 16: Full Steam Ahead!

"Good morning, everyone!" Michael called as he entered the room. "How is everyone?"

"Fine, thanks..." Misty called as she walked towards the bathroom. "Brock, plase take care of Togepi while I'm in the shower, okay?"

"Okay..." Brock carefully lifted Togepi from Misty's arms and placed him on his lap. "So, little guy, what do you want to do while we wait for Misty to finish her bath? Hmm?"

"Togi la la la..." Togepi replied.

"You want to sing songs? Okay....let me think of a good one here..." Brock thought for a moment, then began to snap his fingers and sing: _"I told the witch doctor I was in love with you..."_

_Bum, bum, bum, bum..._ Michael added, doing the instrumental break.

_"I told the witch doctor I was in love with you..."_ Brock continued. _"And then, the witch doctor, he told me what to do, and he said..."_

_"Oo, ee, oo-ah-ah, ting, tang, walla-walla bing bang..."_ Ash sang in his Pikachu voice._ "Oo, ee, oo-ah-ah ting tang walla-walla bing bang!"_

_Oo, ee oo-ah-ah, ting, tang, walla-walla bing bang...oo, ee, oo-ah-ah ting tang walla-walla bing bang!"_ Brock chimed in with Ash, causing Togepi to laugh.

"Are we having fun out there?" Misty called from the bathroom.

"Say 'Yes, Misty, I'm having tons of fun!' Brock cooed to Togepi.

"To-gi-togi-toiiiii!!!!" Togepi replied.

"Good..." Misty replied as she shut the water off and exited the bathroom, only pausing to throw on her bathrobe. "Okay, if anyone wants the shower, come and get it!" she called as she sat down on her bed and combed her hair. Togepi climbed down from Brock's lap and tottled over to the bed. Despite his bravest attempts to climb up, he only got as far as the matress before falling to the floor with a thud.

"Need some help?" Misty asked as she grabbed Togepi, who was clinging to the mattress, and cradled him in her arms, cooing to him as she dried off.

"Where's Maya?" Ash wondered. "Normally she wakes us up in the mornings..."

"She sent me to tell you that you have a challenger waiting for you in the grand hall," Michael explained. "So you'd better hurry up and get ready!"

"I'll be right there!" Ash threw on his vest and cap, gave Pikachu a quick kiss, grabbed his deck, and hurried out the door.

"We'll catch up with you later!" Misty called after him.

---------

Ash ran as fast as he could over to the grand hall, his mind racing. "A challenger? Already? I hope she's not too strong..." he thought as he entered the hall, where a crowd was gathered around one of the arenas.

"Ash, you're here...good." the ref began. "Kristen's been waiting for you for fifteen minutes!" At this, a girl with long black hair stepped up to the Ruby platform and began organizing her deck. As she shuffled her cards, her deck information appeared on the scoreboard. RUBY BLOSSOMS OF POWER

"A Grass deck...this should be easy..." Ash thought to himself as he organized his deck. He waved as Misty and the others arrived and got comfortable. With Charmander, Ponyta, Magmar, and my other Fire Pokemon, she'll be feeling the burn!" He smiled and called "All ready!" as his deck information appeared on the screen. SAPPHIRE FLAME OF CONFUSION

Kiristin giggled. "Excited, aren't we? I'll gladly show you the true power of Grass Pokemon!" She waited as the ref flipped the coin...

-----------

Misty led the others into the grand hall. "Now, where could Ash be dueling? There's so many arenas and duels going on, it's hard to keep track of them all!" she complained as she weaved her way through the crowds.

"There they are!" Brock pointed out one particular scoreboard that read RUBY 1 5 4 53 230 SAPPHIRE 3 3 4 53 200. He ushered the group into the crowd, just as the ref called "Sapphire wins the toss!"

"Grass is weak to fire, so Ash shouldn't have too much trouble beating Kristen." Michael noted as Ash flipped up his active card: Ponyta lv. 17

"I hope you're right..." Brock mused as he got out his tournament brackets....

---------

"Ponyta, I choose you!" Ash announced. A Ponyta galloped into the arena and whinnied to the crowd.

"Go, Clefairy!" Kristen called, flipping up her active card. A Clefairy tottled into the arena and eyed the Ponyta intently.

"Sapphire's turn!" called the ref.

Ash started by attaching a Fire Energy to his Ponyta, then ending his turn. _"I know Smash Kick is strong, but Flame Tail is even stronger!"_ he thought as he added the Lightning Energy he had drawn into his hand.

"Ruby's turn!"

Kristen attached a Grass Energy to Clefairy, then commanded "Clefairy! Watch the moon!"

"Huh?" Ash scratched his head, confused by the command. "How is that going to help?" he wondered. Suddenly, the room went dark, and an image of the night sky appeared, complete with stars and a full moon, which shone brightly onto the Clefairy as it chanted a strange chant. Kristen's deck rose out of its holder untill it was sillhouetted against the moon, ruffled through itself three times, then settled back into the holder. At the same time, another Grass Energy fell from the "sky" and into Kristen's hand. The room then returned to normal.

"Thank you, Clefairy." Kiristen replied as she inserted the Energy card into her hand.

"Sapphire's turn!"

Ash set aside a newly drawn Potion, grabbed the Lightning Energy from his hand, attached it to his waiting Electabuzz, then added the Potion to his hand. "Ponyta, return!" he called, placing the Ponyta back on his bench and putting Electabuzz lv. 35 in the arena. "Thundershock!" he commanded.

"Coin toss!" the ref announced. "If heads, Ruby is paralyzed!" The coin went up...

"Yeah!" Ash cheered as an O appeared on the scoreboard. The Electabuzz focused its power until sparks formed in its paws, then sent the sparks flying at the Clefairy, dazing it as it fell to the arena floor, paralyzed. Kristen's HP went down by 10.

"Ruby's turn!"

Kristen calmly attached the second Grass Energy card she had earned to Clefairy, unaware that Clefairy lay paralyzed in a circle of thunderbolts. "Clefairy, Comet Slap, now!"

The ref blew the whistle, making both competitors jump. "Ruby cannot attack this turn due to paralysis!"

"Oh..." Kristen sighed...

"Sapphire's turn!"

Ash attached a second Lightning Energy from his hand and a Pluspower to Electabuzz. "Electabuzz, Thunderpunch!" he commanded, smiling with confidence as the ref blew the whistle for the coin toss.

---------

"Electabuzz...I didn't know Ash had that card!" Misty exclaimed as the coin went up.

"He got it in his booster pack from the duel with May." Brock explained. "I witnessed him put it in there."

"Is it a good card?" Misty wondered. She knew Brock had that same card, but had never seen him use it. "How does it attack?"

"Well..." Brock began as he marked an O on his chart, signaling that Ash had gotten heads. "It is a good card to have for its Thunderpunch attack."

"Unlike most attacks of its caliber, Thunderpunch has a very small recoil...so if you're willing to risk the possibility of recoil, then go for it!" Michael added.

"Oh..." Misty replied as she watched Ash draw one of his prizes.

---------

"Ruby, select a Pokemon!" the ref announced.

"Okay...I choose Dratini!" Kristen called as she placed Dratini lv. 15 in the arena.

"Ruby's turn!"

Kristen attached a Double Colorless Energy to Dratini, then commanded "Dratini, Tail Slap!" She waited as the ref again blew the whistle for the coin toss.

"If heads, damage increases!" the ref called, and the coin went up...

"Tails." Ash called._ "Oh please, oh please...._ he begged.

"Sapphire wins the toss!" The crowd cheered at the ref's announcement. In the arena, the Dratini whipped its tail at the Electabuzz, stinging it in the face! Ash's HP went down by 10.

"Sapphire's turn!"

"Electabuzz, Thunderpunch it again!" Ash commanded, motioning to the ref. The coin went up...and landed on heads again!

"No!" Kristen watched in horror as the Electabuzz focused its power into a fist until it was pulsing with electricity, the delivered a right hook to the Dratini's head! It fell, defeated!

"Ruby's turn!"

"I choose...Tangela!" Kristen grabbed the Tangela lv. 23 card and placed it in the arena, then commanded "Tangela! Vine Slap!" At this, the Tangela lashed out several vines at Electabuzz, making Ash's HP go down by ten.

"Sapphire's turn!"

Ash studied the Tangela for a moment. "If she's just now getting to her Grass Pokemon, then now's my chance to strike with Fire Pokemon!" he thought. "Electabuzz, return." he commanded, placing the Electabuzz card back on his bench and grabbing his Ponyta card. "Go, Ponyta! Use Flame Tail!" The Ponyta galloped up to the Tangela and struck it in the face with its tail, knocking Kristen down to 80 HP.

"Ruby's turn!"

"Go for it, Oddish!" Kristen commanded as she attached a Grass Energy card to it. "Blot the Ponyta!" The Oddish skittered up to the Ponyta and tried to enclose it in a leaf, but the Ponyta didn't even flinch. Ash's HP remained at 180.

"Sapphire's turn!"

"Ponyta, Flame Tail!" Ash commanded, smiling with pride as the Ponyta attacked! He grabbed his last prize as the ref called "Game Set! Sapphire wins!" then ran to meet Kristen at the arena's center.

"You're pretty good! I wish my Grass Pokemon were as good as your Pokemon!" Kristen smiled as the two shook hands. "I had fun dueling too, even if I lost!"

"The pleasure's all mine!" Ash replied. He waved goodbye as Kristen disappeared into the crowd, then ran back to his cheering teammates.

-----------

"Well done!" Misty cried as Ash returned to the sideline and sat down.

"You totally dominated Kristen!" Michael agreed.

"I just used my best Pokemon against her..." Ash started, but Brock cut him off. "Yeah, but you also took advantage of her weaknesses to win! That's strategy!"

"Umm...isn't there a duel going on?" a familiar voice interrupted.

Brock looked up and noticed the familiar face of Professor Ivy looking down at him. "Ivy? What are you doing here?"

"Oh, I needed a break from my research, so I thought I'd travel a bit." Ivy explained. "Fancy seeing you here, and in the tournament, no less!"

"Well, it kinda started with Ash wanting to take part, then I decided to join up with him as a team...for support."

"Where's your deck?" Ivy asked. "I'd like to see it!"

"Okay...let me get it here..." Brock unzipped his pack and started looking through it, ultimately producing the Geodude tin. "Here it is! My pride and joy, Rock Storm!" He proudly unfurled the cards before Ivy, who bent down and began to admire them. "That's not all we've been doing while we've been here..."

"Have you performed on Performer's Square?" Ivy interrupted. "I've been told that many great acts got their start out there..."

"I was just getting to that!" Brock laughed. "We played out there the other day...and we racked up two thousand credits in tips by the time the afternoon passed!"

"Wow...perhaps you can reprise some of your act for me?" Ivy asked, pulling up a chair for herself.

"Okay..." and Brock motioned for the others to get their harmonicas out. "This first one was a set we did for amateur talent night in the Dome's dinner theater. We call it the 'Camptown Set'" With that, he and Ash led the others into "Camptown Races" once again....

----------

Elsewhere, Team Rocket watched the crowds pass by from the comfort of a storage room. "Okay, since our performance plot failed, I guess we'll have to catch Pikachu the old-fashioned way..." Jessie sighed.

"Not to be rude...but what exactly IS da old-fashioned way?" Meowth asked, confused.

"Simple...we sneak up behind it when its trainer isn't looking, grab it, sneak back here, inform the boss, and make our getaway!" James explained. But first, we need to FIND its trainer...so Team Rocket, move out!" With that, he led Jessie and Meowth into the crowd. Before long, they had spotted Pikachu, who was moving his head in rhythm to the music the others were making.

"Now remember, we need to keep quiet..." Jessie whispered as the group crept closer...and closer...but before any of the three Rockets could grab the content Pikachu, he darted away into an empty hallway!

"He's gettin' away!" Meowth called as he led the other Rockets down through the maze of people, Pokemon, and arenas.

Jessie, however, rubbed her ears in pain. "Where are all these harmonicas coming from? It's getting on my nerves!" she complained as she ran to keep up with Meowth and James.

"It's da twerps that are playin 'em!" Meowth yelled over the noise. "I would tell'em to stop, but let's catch Pikachu foist!"

-----------

After a few minutes of running, the three Rockets found the hallway Pikachu had ran down. At first glance, it looked like an empty hallway...or so Team Rocket thought. They huddled together in the center to discuss their next move.

"So, where do you think Pikachu went?" Jessie was the first to speak. "He could've gone anywhere, only using this hallway as a place to loose us!"

"Well, if Pikachu ran down this hallway, it only makes sense if he's cowered in a corner at the end of it!" James explained. "That way, we can catch him and be on our way!" He smiled, pleased with his theory.

"Well, what about dese doorways inda hall?" Meowth asked.

"Doors?" Jessie was confused.

"I don't see any doorways here." James called to Meowth as he fumbled in the darkness for any sign of a doorknob.

"Den let's shed a little light onda situation!" Meowth climbed up onto a chair and flicked a nearby light switch, bathing the corridor in light and revealing several doorways that lined the hallway on both sides.

"Oh...those doors!" Jessie exclaimed. "Who wants to wager that Pikachu went in one of the rooms?"

"But we can't just barge in those rooms!" James protested as he, Jessie and Meowth carefully tiptoed down the hallway. "They could be someone's private place!"

"Uh, shouldn't we be running after Pikachu now?" Meowth interrupted as he finally spotted Pikachu at an intersection in the hallway, apparently thinking about which route to take.

"No, why?" Jessie asked.

Meowth gestured in the direction of Ash and the others. "I can tell by da music!" With that thought in mind, the three Rockets took off running as Pikachu dove down the left route, which led into the other side of the grand hall, all the while continuing to weave their way through crowds of people, Pokemon, and other bystanders.

After about an hour, Pikachu screeched to halt in front of Ash and the others as they played the conclusion of their song...

"I don't think I can run anymore..." James wheezed.

"Me neither..." Jessie agreed. She reached out towards the group to grab Pikachu....

"CHUUUUU!!!!!" Pikachu unleashed a Thunderbolt right as Ash and the others blew the last note of the song, sending Team Rocket flying!

Ivy giggled as she heard Team Rocket cry "We're blasting off AGAAAAINNNN!....ping", then applauded the song.

"Thank you!" Brock leapt up from his chair and took a bow. Ash and the others did the same.

"That Thunderbolt at the end was a nice touch!" Ivy commented as she applauded.

"Uh, that was unplanned." Brock confessed. "Thank Pikachu for that, though!" At this, Pikachu hopped up on Ash's shoulder and took a bow.

"Well..." Ivy looked at her watch. "I have to catch my tour bus now...it leaves in a few minutes. But I can always give you a hug..." and she and Brock embraced each other...

"Aww..." Misty noted.

"How sweet..." Ash agreed, taking Pikachu and cradling him in his arms as Brock waved goodbye to Ivy. "So, little guy, how did you outwit Team Rocket this time?"

"Pikachu pi pika..." Pikachu giggled as he lowered his head for a scratch.

"You used the emergency hallway?" Ash asked as he scratched Pikachu's head. "You didn't go in any of the rooms, did you?" Pikachu shook his head no. "Good...I don't think the emergency crews would be too happy to find you in their rooms!" he laughed. He was about to cuddle Pikachu some more when...

"Ash!" a voice called from the arena.

"Huh..." Ash turned to look towards the Ruby platform, only to find Gary standing on it, readying his cards to duel. "Gary?"

"Thought I was gone, didn't you?" Gary smirked. "You think you're gonna get Mewtwo lv. 53? Forget it, 'cause it's gonna be mine! And there's nothing you can do to stop me!"

"Gary, Gary, he's okay! Gary, Gary, hip hooray!" cheered Gary's cheerleaders.

"Oh yeah?" Ash stepped back to the Sapphire platform and readied his deck as the deck information appeared on the scoreboard: RUBY CHALLENGE GARY SAPPHIRE FLAME OF CONFUSION

Can Ash defeat Gary a second time? Find out!


	17. The Heart of the Cards, part 17: Gary Ev...

_Last time, on "Pokemon: The Heart of the Cards"...._

_Ash continues to make strides in the Triple Challenge, easily defeating Kristen, a budding Grass-type duelist, for his second victory! But, that victory proves even sweeter for Brock when he receives a surprise visit from Professor Ivy! Despite another reunion with an old friend, Team Rocket also returns and tries again to capture Pikachu, but they prove to be no match for Pikachu's superior mettle!_

_Just when the day couldn't be filled with any more action, Gary returns and challenges Ash again for the third battle in the Triple Challenge!_

_Can Ash defeat Gary again? Find out!_

The Heart of the Cards, part 17: Gary Evens The Score

Ash sighed as he readied his deck for battle. _"Thankfully, I have all my best cards this time..."_ he thought as he watched his stats appear on the scoreboard: SAPPHIRE 2 3 4 53 200 _"Maybe I can show Gary that I'm more than a match for him!"_

Gary snickered confidently as he observed Ash's stats. "I've been earning new cards and trying them out in different decks...let's just see how well your deck does against some of my new favorites!" he jeered, gesturing to his stats: RUBY 2 4 4 53 200

"Favorites or not, we'll see who's truly worthy of that prize card!" Ash taunted. Just then, the ref blew the whistle, signaling the coin toss....

----------

"See the scoreboard?" Misty asked, directing the others' attention to the stats. "Ash and Gary have the same HP count!"

"I know..." Brock agreed as he grabbed a fresh score sheet from his pack and wrote "ASH VS. GARY" at the top in preparation to keep track of the score. "I hope Ash knows what he's doing...

"Hey, if Ash can beat Gary once, he can beat him again!" Michael assured the others as he saw an O appear on the scoreboard, affirming that Ash had won the toss the second time around.

"I don't know..." Brock mused. "Gary may have some good cards this time around...but only time will tell..."

-----------

"Treecko, I choose you! Ash called, summoning Treecko into the arena. Treecko took a bow to the crowd, then started to chew on his lucky twig as he waited for Ash's command.

"Go, Doduo!" Gary announced, flipping up his active card. A Doduo raced into the arena anxious to battle

"Sapphire's turn!"

Ash started by attaching a Grass Energy to Treecko, then commanded. "Treecko, Tail Slap!" Treecko skittered up to Doduo and slammed its tail into the Doduo's legs, making it start to lose its balance. Gary's HP went down by 10.

"Ruby's turn!"

Gary slyly attached a Double Colorless Energy to Doduo._ "Heh, heh...with Doduo's Fury Attack...Ash won't even know what hit him!"_ he thought as he watched the bright white energy flow into Doduo, allowing it to regain its composure. "Doduo, Fury Attack!" he commanded. The Doduo opened its beak and began firing twigs at Treecko, pinning it to the platform! Ash's HP went down by 20.

"Sapphire's turn!"

Ash quickly recalled Treecko and grabbed his newest card, Meowth lv. 14 off of his bench. _"Gary thinks he's so smart...he won't be so strong without his best Pokemon!"_ he smiled as he placed Meowth in the arena and gave it a Double Colorless Energy....

------------

"Why did Ash suddenly decide to change Pokemon?" Misty wondered. "He was doing fine with Treecko!"

"Treecko would be knocked out, Gary's Doduo is stronger." Maya explained. "Type alignment, you know..."

"Yeah..." Misty sighed and slumped in her chair. "I'm just worried that this duel will be a repeat of last time..."

"It won't, thanks to Meowth lv. 14!" Michael interjected.

"How so?" Misty raised an eyebrow, interested.

"Meowth lv. 14 has an attack called Cat Punch..." Michael explained. "It can attack ANY of the opponent's Pokemon, even the benched ones!"

"Michael's right!" Brock agreed. "If Ash can slowly bring down Gary's Pokemon before he can get them out, it might be an easy win!"

"Let's just keep our fingers crossed and hope your prediction's right..." Misty mused as she turned her attention back to the arena.

-----------

"Meowth, Cat Punch!" Ash commanded.

"Meow!" The Meowth bounded to Gary's bench and punched it with a paw.

Gary laughed confidently to himself. "You call THAT an attack?" he taunted, completely unaware that his HP had gone down by 20. "That didn't even scratch Doduo!"

"Ruby's turn!"

"Doduo, Fury Attack!" Gary commanded. The Doduo fired another round of twigs, but the Meowth veered out of the way!

"Ruby's attack missed!" the ref announced. "Sapphire's turn!"

"Meowth, Cat Punch!" Ash called. The Meowth bounced up to Gary's bench and struck another card, making it float out of the arena into Gary's discard.

Gary was shocked!" "Wha...how could you defeat Squirtle before I could even bring him out!"

"It's called strategy!" Ash called back as he grabbed one of his prizes.

"Ooh..." Gary gritted his teeth as he heard the ref call "Ruby's turn!".

----------

"All right! Ash brought down one of Gary's cards!" Michael cheered.

"He's not done yet!" Maya cautioned as she brought up the bench makeups on her PokeNavi. "Gary has a tough Pokemon waiting for Ash!"

Misty looked over at the flickering PokeNavi screen with interest. "What's so bad about a Scyther card? I have one in my own deck, so he can't be all THAT bad!"

"I can probably answer that question in two words: Swords Dance." Brock explained as he flipped to a clean page in his notebook and sketched a rough drawing of a Scyther. "You know that the attack Slash, no matter which Pokemon has it, will always do 30 damage, right?" Everyone nodded. "However..." Brock paused to draw the Scyther twirling around two swords. "If the Scyther uses Swords Dance, that doubles its attack for three turns. And if our Scyther used Slash directly after that..." He let that hang.

"So long Ash, you lose, game over." Michael sighed. "We can only hope Ash can take that Scyther out quickly!"

---------

"Doduo! Try again to hit the Meowth with Fury Attack!" Gary commanded. The Doduo again fired twings from its beak, this time successfully pinning the Meowth to the Sapphire platform. Ash's HP went down by 20.

"Sapphire's turn!"

Ash quickly put the Potion he had drawn earlier into the arena. "There you go!" The Meowth scurried over and drank the entire potion dry, boosting Ash's HP by 20. Next, Ash attached a Pluspower to Meowth, causing a red aura to form around it. "Now, Meowth! Cat Punch with Pluspower!" The Meowth obediently ran up to Gary's bench and struck another card, knocking Gary's HP down to 120.

"Ruby's turn!"

Gary quickly recalled his Doduo and set Scyther in the arena. _"If Ash is doing what I think he's doing, I better take out that Meowth and quick..._ he thought as he attached a Grass Energy to Scyther. "Scyther, Swords Dance!" he commanded. The Scyther formed two swords and began to twirl around them, all the while chanting a war chant.

"Scyther's attack is up!" the ref announced. "Sapphire's turn!"

"Quickly, Meowth! Cat Punch!" Ash screamed i0n panic when he saw the Swords Dance. The Meowth ran up to the Scyther and gave it a punch in the stomach, knocking it backwards and lowering Gary's HP to an even 100.

"Ruby's turn!"

---------

Gary's mind raced as he searched his deck for an Energy card_."Don't tell me that I put my Double Colorless Energy in the prize pile...where is it...where is it...."_ he thought as he rummaged through the deck, once...twice....three times...

"Ruby, make your move..." the ref called, snapping Gary out of his thoughts.

"I end my turn!" Gary called to the ref, obviously panged by the thought of seeing his Scyther defeated.

"All right, then...Sapphire's turn!"

"Okay, Meowth!" Ash called. "Cat Punch, and be sure you hit the Scyther!"

"NOOOOOOOO!!!!!!" Gary cried in shock and disbelief as the Meowth punched his Scyther, defeating it! He hung his head as Ash triumphantly drew one of his prizes. "That does it!" and he threw down his deck in frustration. I'm going to withdraw and get some NEW cards!" and he ran from the platform.

The ref blew the whistle. "Ruby forfeits the match! Sapphire wins!" Ash calmly stepped down from the Sapphire platform as the crowd applauded.

---------

"Goodness, Gary didn't have to get all upset like he did just because of losing one card!" Misty mused as the crowd gathered for the Triple Challenge awards ceremony.

"Maybe that's his weakness." Brock suggested. "He may be so dependent on certain cards that once he loses those, all his other cards are extremely weak!"

"That may be true..." Michael agreed as Ash approached the referee to receive his prize.

"Ash..." the referee began. "It is my greatest honor and privilige to give you this rare card...Mewtwo lv. 53." The crowd cheered as Ash took the card from the ref's hand and flashed it to his teammates. "Pokepower!" he cried.

"Go, Pokepower!" the crowd called back. With that, Ash tipped his cap to the crowd and ran back to his waiting teammates.

---------

"What a day!" Ash sighed as he and the others returned from the grand hall. "Three duels in one day, and a rare card to boot!"

"You worked hard to get Mewtwo, and now you've earned it!" Michael cried, putting an arm around Ash. "Treat it like an heirloom!"

"Oh, I will!" Ash laughed as he reached for his deck and inserted the new card inside, then turned towards the window, where the lights of Titian City glittered against the deep blue night sky. "However...I don't get why Gary would suddenly withdraw from a match like he did..."

"Who knows?" Misty mused. "He could be plotting revenge, for all we know..."

"How do you know?" Brock asked, curious. Misty turned to answer, but was soon interrupted by a knock at the door.

"I'll get it!" Ash leapt up from his chair by the window, hurried to the door, and opened it. "Maya!"

"Hi, guys!" Maya called to the group as she set down some bags of food on the table. "Did you clench Mewtwo?"

"I did..." Ash assured Maya. "The weird thing is, he suddenly withdrew after I knocked out his Scyther! He usually isn't like that!"

"Hmm...he may have a bigger plan up his sleeve..." Maya mused. "But, the important thing is, you got the card and won the Tripe Challenge...so I brought you guys dinner to celebrate!"

"You did? What is it?" Brock asked, interested. "I'm starved after a long day of dueling..."

"Look who's talking!" Ash replied, playfully elbowing Brock.

Maya just laughed at the ongoing elbow fight as she set out the food: roast chicken, potatoes, green beans, and a tray of brownies for dessert. "I fixed this just for you, so help yourselves!"

"Thanks, Maya!" Ash repled as he got settled at the table.

"Let's dig in!" Brock passed out the silverware and got drinks for everyone, then helped himself to the food that Maya had prepared....

With the Triple Challenge behind them, what lies ahead for our heroes? Stay tuned!


	18. The Heart of the Cards, part 18: Ash's S...

_Last time, on "Pokemon: The Heart of the Cards..."_

_Ash and Gary face each other for a second time, this time to decide who will win the Triple Challenge! This time, Ash is prepared with a few new cards to counter Gary's all out offensive! Before long, Ash uses Meowth lv. 14 to slowly bring Gary down, taking out his best cards before he can even use them! But before Ash can completely defeat Gary's team, Gary suddenly withdraws from the match, and Ash wins the ultra rare Mewtwo lv. 53!_

_Now Ash and co prepare to relax for a while...but little do they realize they're about to cross paths with Team Rocket again!_

The Heart of the Cards, part 18: Ash's Spoiled Picnic

_"Congratulations Ash! You've won the four Legendary cards!" the tournament sponsor called as Ash stepped triumphantly down from the Sapphire platform. Misty and the others stood nearby, laughing and hugging each other._

_"We did it!" Misty cried. "I knew you could do it, Ash...Ash....Ash...."_

"Ash..." Brock nudged the still sleeping Ash. "Time to get up..." Ash just chuckled in his sleep and rolled over, pulling the covers over his head. Brock sighed. "Okay...time to take some drastic measures...." With that, he trudged into the kitchen, grabbed a pot and spoon off the countertop, tiptoed back into the bedroom, placed the pot over Ash's head, and began to bang on it with the spoon.

"What's all the racket about?" Misty asked as she sat up in bed, startled by the noise.

"Ash is sawing logs over here, and won't wake up!" Brock explained, gesturing to the still asleep Ash. "I thought the old 'cooking-pot-on-the-head' would work, but no..."

"Well, I have an idea..." and Misty led Brock out of the room...

----------

"Are you sure this will work?" Brock asked as he and Misty tiptoed back in the bedroom.

"Sure I'm sure...Lily and Daisy used to always do this to me when I overslept." Misty explained. With that, she raised a frying pan in the air and began to bang on it, waking up both Pikachu and Togepi!

"Pika pi!" Pikachu asked, startled as he sat up in his bed. "Pika pi pika pipipi?" he demanded, gesturing to a crying Togepi.

"Oh..." Misty dropped the frying pan, ran over to the Pokemon area, and cradled the wailing Togepi in her arms. "I'm sorry I scared you...okay?" Togepi sniffled a little as Misty rocked him assuringly.

"Hmm..." Brock thought for a moment as Misty comforted Togepi, then offered his hand to Pikachu, who willingly climbed aboard. "I have an idea that won't be noisy!" he suggested.

"What?" Misty asked, interested.

"I'm going to have Pikachu lick Ash's toes." and with that, Brock uncovered Ash's feet and set Pikachu down at the foot of the bed. "Okay, little guy, go to it!" Pikachu tiptoed over to Ash's big toe and started licking it gingerly.

"Hee hee, that tickles..." Ash mumbled as he changed position...again.

"Pika pi..." Pikachu sighed as Brock returned from the kitchen blowing up a paper bag. "Pika?"

"I'm gonna blow this up really big, then pop it so it goes 'POW!', surprising Ash." Brock explained in between breaths. Pikachu mentally pictured Ash's probable reaction--jumping out of the bed and hitting the ceiling. He started to snicker, then giggle, and before long, he was rolling on the floor laughing.

"While you're doing that, I have an idea!" Misty ran over to the TV and turned it on.

"And today's forecast WILL BE PARTLY CLOUDLY WITH A CHANCE OF RAIN..." the TV blared, surprising Brock! Misty stood nearby the TV, watching for any sign of life from Ash. Ash meanwhile, grabbed a pillow and covered his ears to muffle the TV.

"You can turn the TV down now, I have the bag ready!" Brock yelled, hurrying over to the right side of the bed-where Ash's right ear was exposed.

"Okay..." Misty fumbled for the remote and returned the TV to its normal volume, the ran over close to Brock. "I'll count you down, okay?"

"Okay!" and Brock raised a hand in preparation to pop the bag. "Ready!"

"Cover your ears, guys..." Misty cautioned. Pikachu and Togepi obediently shielded their ears as Misty counted off the impending explosion. "And five...four...three...two...one..."

**_POW!_** Togepi jumped in surprise as Brock slammed his hand down on the inflated bag with a pop. He giggled with glee as Misty went to check if Ash had even flinched from the noise. "Gi-to-iiiii!!!" he chirped.

"Again?" Brock asked as he tossed the destroyed bag in the trash. "I'd have to get another bag to do it again...." he explained as Misty returned to the kitchen, obviously annoyed. "Ash still asleep?"

"Yeah, he's still counting Mareeps..." Misty sighed. "Any more bright ideas?"

"Well..." Brock started, but was interrupted by a knock at the door. "I'll get that..." He got up from his place at the table and opened the door, revealing Michael on the front stoop. "Oh, hi Michael! How are you?"

"Fine, thanks..." Michael replied, strolling over to the kitchen table and getting comfortable. "What was that explosion? Did the stove break down or something?"

"Nah...I popped a bag to try and get Ash to wake up...he's oversleeping again." Brock explained.

"Oversleeping? I have an idea...." Michael led Brock and Misty back into the bedroom, where Ash continued to sleep. "On the count of three, everyone scream, okay?

"Okay!" Brock and Misty chorused.

"Pika?" Pikachu asked.

Michael smiled. "Sure, you can scream too...okay, one...two..." Everyone took a deep breath. "Three!"

**"AAAAAAUUUUUUGGGGGHHHHHH!!!!!"** The scream was so loud, it made the light fixtures rattle. Misty coughed a little. "I think I screamed a little too loud...

"Me too..." Brock replied in a raspy voice.

"Pika pi..." Pikachu also sounded a little raspy.

"Ungh..." Ash just grabbed another pillow and shielded his ears as he rolled over again. The others meanwhile, huddled around the table to discuss their ideas.

----------

"A really loud guitar strum?" Michael suggested.

"We'd need an electric guitar for that, and all I've got is my acoustic." Brock explained. "We could try throwing water on him..."

"That would mess the bed up, and we don't want that." Misty noted. She sighed and drummed her fingers on the table. "I just wish Ash would wake up..."

Suddenly, Brock's face lit up! "That's it!" he cried, jumping up from the table and running into the other room.

"What's it?" Misty asked, confused as to all the rattling and rustling coming from the other room.

"Now I know I had it here someplace..." Brock called from the other room. "Here it is..." Just then, Misty heard the tell-tale notes of a trumpet playing scales coming from the other room. She giggled, since she knew what was coming next...

---------

"Please..." Ash muttered as he changed positions a third time. "Let me sleep..." He was about to go back to sleep when the piercing notes of a trumpet playing _"Reville"_ rang in his ears! "What the...." he asked, finally sitting up in the bed, confused.

"Yay! He's awake!" Misty cheered.

"About time..." Brock chided, calmly fingering his instrument as Ash climbed out of bed and began to sort through the laundry for a clean shirt. Just as he pulled it over his head and fed Pikachu, another knock came at the door. "I'll get it!" He assured the others as he raced to the door.

"Good morning, Ash..." Maya began as she walked in and made herself comfortable on the couch. "Did I wake you?"

"No..." Ash sighed as he grabbed a piece of bread and stuck it in the toaster. "The bugler woke me up."

"The bugler?" Maya was confused.

"Pika pi..." and Pikachu started to "play" an imaginary trumpet. "Da da da-da da, da da da-da da...."

"He did?" Maya laughed at this. "I remember getting woken up like that at summer camp when I was little..."

"So? What's the plan for today?" Ash asked, changing the subject.

"Well..." Maya stretched her arms, then continued. "I was thinking about going to the park and having a picnic with you guys. It IS a nice day, after all..."

"I'll go!" Ash volunteered.

"Me too!" Brock agreed. He rushed off to the main room and returned with a piece of paper and a pencil. "Okay...what should we bring on our picnic?"

"Sandwiches...they're quick..." Misty suggested.

"Chips..." Michael added.

"Pikapi ka!" Pikachu interjected. Brock smiled and wrote _"my homemade chocolate chip cookies"_ onto his list.

"Oh, don't forget drinks!" Misty cautioned. Brock nodded and wrote _"lemonade, OJ, etc."_ down.

"Anything else?" Brock asked as he double checked his list. Everyone shook their heads no. "Okay, then, let's pack!"

Maya found a picnic basket and lay it on a chair in the main room. Ash grabbed some ham, cheese, and bread from the pantry and tucked them inside the basket, then went back to the kitchen for mustard, ketchup and other condiments. Misty, meanwhile, stepped into the bathroom and started the shower. "Brock? Would you mind looking after Togepi again while I take a shower?" Misty asked, delivering Togepi to Brock. "There, you can help Brock make cookies while I take a bath, okay?" she cooed. With that, she disappeared into the bathroom.

----------

"Okay, you guys!" Brock called to Pikachu and Togepi, who were watching intently from the table. "Here's how you make cookies..." He paused to set a bowl on the table, followed by a platter loaded with cookie supplies: butter, eggs, flour, sugar, vanilla, some cinnamon, and chocolate chips. "First, we melt the butter..." he explained as he set the microwave to a minute.

Togepi tottled over to the microwave and watched as the numbers ticked away...three...two...one... "Gi!" he chirped as the microwave beeped.

"I know, I'm coming..." Brock threw on an apron and rushed to the microwave. "Whew..." he sighed as he scraped the melted butter in the bowl.

"Pika pi?" Pikachu asked excitedly.

"Then what? Next, we add in the flour..." Brock explained as he measured out the dry ingredients....

Just then, Ash walked in the kitchen. "So, how much longer until we--

"Shhh!!!" Pikachu shushed. "Pika pi pika pipi!"

"I see..." Ash noticed as Brock added in the cinnamon--his special ingredient--and the chocolate chips.

---------

"Mmm...smells good in here..." Maya commented as she strolled into the kitchen. "What's cooking?"

"My secret cookie recipe." Brock replied as he washed off the silverware he had used. "Chocolate chip with a special sweet surprise!" He gestured to Pikachu and Togepi, who were both happily licking the bowl. "With a little help from these two, of course."

Pikachu's ears pricked up at the sound of the timer's bell. "Pika!" he called, gesturing to the oven.

Togepi, meanwhile, hurried over and inspected the pan of cookies as Brock set it on the counter. He was about to snatch one until Misty picked him up. "No, Togepi, you can't have any just yet. They have to cool off first..." Togepi just blankly stared at Misty. "You wouldn't want to burn your mouth, would you?" Togepi shook his head no.

"Okay, we have our main course..." Maya noted as Michael loaded the last of the sandwich makings into the picnic basket. "...drinks..." She carefully placed two pitchers of juice inside the basket.

"And dessert..." Brock added, placing his box of cookies on top of the sandwich makings and chips.

"I'll carry the picnic blanket!" Ash called from the main room as he grabbed a red and white tablecloth.

"Okay, do we have everything?" Michael asked.

"Just some toys for Togepi..." Misty replied, struggling to carry a bag full of toys into the kitchen.

"Well, let's go!" Ash cried.

"Goin' on a picnic, leavin' right away...if it doesn't rain, we'll stay all day!" Misty sang to Togepi as the group marched out of the room.

---------

_"...the ants go marching one by one..."_ Brock sang as he led the group down the street leading into the park.

_"Hurrah! Hurrah!"_ the others joined in.

_"The ants go marching one by one..."_

_"Hurrah! Hurrah!"_

_"The ants go marching one by one..."_ Brock continued as the group marched along the grass-lined path. _"...the little one stopped to have some fun..."_

_"And they all go marching down, to the ground, to get out, of the rain..."_ everyone sang as they marched up a hill overlooking a lake. Ash carefully set Pikachu on the ground, then grabbed the picnic blanket and unrolled it on the grass. Maya put the picnic basket next to her backpack, then kicked off her shoes and releaxed, her feet squishing in the grass.

"Did we forget anything?" Brock asked. No sooner had he said that, did he hear a sudden** THWAP!** He turned to look for the source of the noise, but only found the picnic blanket plastered to Misty.

"Mmph mmph mph mph mmmph mmmph mpph." Misty called, obviously muffled by the blanket.

"Say that again?" Brock asked, peeling the blanket off of Misty and pinning it down with a few rocks.

"I said 'You forgot the rocks for the blanket'." Misty sighed as she settled down on the grass, Togepi in her lap, and opened the basket. "Want me to make a sandwich for you, Togepi?" she cooed.

"Gi to-iiii!" Togepi replied excitedly as Misty began making smaller sandwiches.

Meanwhile, Ash had just finished making a sandwich or himself and was about to make one for Pikachu when Pikachu gave him a light tug on his shirt. "What?" he asked, picking Pikachu up. He gasped when he saw the expression on Pikachu's face. "Wait, I know that look, you're fixing to--"

**_"ACHU!!!!"_** Pikachu sneezed, spraying the food. He sniffled a little as the others scrambled to cover their food.

"What's the matter, Pikachu? Are you--" Ash started, but stopped to shield his face as Pikachu sneezed again and again, spraying sparks everywhere with every sneeze. "Great, now Pikachu's sick..." he sighed. "Anyone know how to cure a bout of sneezing?"

"Hold tight, I'll go down to the first aid station and get some medicine for Pikachu." Brock volunteered, all the while shielding himself from the spray of sparks as he knelt down before the sniffling Pikachu. "Hang on, little guy...I'm gonna get you something to make you feel better, okay?"

**_"ACHU!"_** was Pikachu's only response as Brock took off down the hill. **_"ACHU!"_**

---------

Elsewhere, Team Rocket strolled down the path, apparently enjoying the sunshine and warm breeze along with the other park patrons. "Isn't this wonderful?" Jessie commented. "Taillows singing, children laughing..."

"My stomach growling..." Meowth complained. "When was da last time we had somethin' to eat?"

"Come to think of it, Meowth...I'm hungry too." James agreed, clutching his stomach. "There's so many people having picnics today, it's hard to decide which foods to steal!"

"Hey, look!" Jessie called pointing at the nearby hill with the group's food set out. "Someone left their picnic unguarded! And all that food looks good!"

"Let's eat, den!" Meowth called as he led the way up the hill. "It's a shame to let food like dat go to waste!"

"Wobba! Wobba!" Wobbufett cried as he struggled to catch up to the other Rockets.

---------

"And he shoots...he scores!" Michael commented as the others played basketball on a court nearby the hill. Ash had confidently made a free throw for himself and Michael--the boy's team--while Misty and Maya struggled to catch up. They had been playing for a while now, and the boys led by two points.

"Thanks!" Ash called as he ran back to the center of the court for the next tipoff.

"One problem...who's going to toss the ball?" Misty asked.

"Oh...I nearly forgot about that!" Michael laughed, reaching for the Poke Ball with Blaze inside. "Hey, Blaze, come play with us! Come on out!" and the Poke Ball opened, revealing the Blaziken inside.

"You sure Blaze can hold the ball?" Misty asked.

"Sure he can!" With that, Michael handed the ball to Blaze. "Blaze, will you toss the ball for the tipoff?"

"Ken, ken." Blaze replied as he pranced to the center of the court, where Misty and Ash stood waiting for the tipoff. "Ken ziken?" he asked.

"Yeah!" Misty replied.

"Ken!" At this, Blaze hurled the basketball into the sky. Misty whacked it away, signaling the start of another two on two game.

"Togi to-iiii!" Togepi cheered from the sidelines, all the while waving a flag with 'GO MISTY!!!!' on it. Pikachu sat nearby, still sniffling and trying to enjoy himself as he watched the game, but the constant sneezing and watering eyes made even sitting still hard to do.

Ash noticed the dismal look on Pikachu's face and made a T with his hands. "Time out..need to check on Pkachu." He hurried over to the sidelines and knelt before Pikachu. "Feeling better?" he asked, gently massaging Pikachu's back.

"Pika..." Pikachu started, but soon felt the tickle in his nose that signaled an oncoming sneeze. **_"ACHU!"_** More sparks sprayed onto the center of the court.

"Bless you!" Michael replied as he set the ball on the other sideline. "Come on, Blaze...game's over." With that, he led the others to the court exit and back towards the hill to their waiting food.

"Blazi blaze..." Blaze assuredly rubbed a wing on Pikachu, but quickly shielded himself as Pikachu sneezed again. "Iken!"

"Chu..." Pikachu sighed, sniffling again.

"I know you feel miserable, Pikachu..." Misty assured him. "But when you get your medicine, you'll feel a lot bet-**_AUUGGGHHHHH!!!!"_**

"What is it, Misty?" Ash asked, hurrying to the top of the hill, where Misty stood agape at what used to be their picnic spot.

"Our picnic...it's ruined!" Misty cried, gesturing to the piles of plastic, silverware, half eaten sandwiches, and spilled juice littering the grass.

"Who did this???" Ash demanded. "Show yourself!"

"Your answer's right over there." Michael sighed, pointing to a tree nearby the summit, where Team Rocket was scarfing down the group's sandwiches one by one.

"Team Rocket!" the group cried.

"We're just passing through, we won't cause any trouble..." Jessie assured the group as she reached for a slice of cheese to crown her multi-layered sandwich, which was already leaning over due to the sheer weight of the ingredients.

"Mmm! This food is so good, I'll make my portion double!" James agreed, reaching for a slice of bread to make yet another sandwich.

"To enjoy this food and soothe our bellies..." Jessie smiled as she attempted to pick up her gargantuan sandwich.

"All we need now is some peanut butter and homemade jellies!" James cried as he took a bite of his new sandwich.

"You really shouldn't have, the food was only a suggestion!" Jessie explained as her sandwich toppled on top of some paper towels.

James smiled as he took another bite of his sandwich. "If I eat too much more of these, I'll come down with indigestion!"

"Jessie!"

"James!"

"Team Rocket, stuffing ourselves at the speed of light!" Jessie cried, biting into a chip with a crunch.

"With all this food, who really needs to fight?" James asked as he began making another sandwich.

"Meowth! You got dat right!" Meowth agreed, happily slurping on his drink.

"Oooh..." Ash turned his cap backwards and angrily cried, "If Brock sees this mess, he'll do something horrible to you!"

"Oooh, I'm so scared..." James replied as he scarfed down another sandwich.

"What's he going to do, jab us in the stomach with a trombone slide?" Jessie taunted, slyly looking at Ash for the answer. No sooner had she said that, did a rousing note pierce the air!

"What was that?" Misty asked.

Michael looked over and turned purple trying not to laugh as he saw Brock marching up the hill, all the while playing a trombone. "Look!" Misty watched as Brock jabbed the slide into the three Rockets' stomachs, causing them to roll on the ground in pain. Togepi was rolling on the grass, cracking up with delight.

"Pika..." Pikachu asked as he woke up from a nap, curious as to what all the noise was.

"Jessie asked if Brock was going to jab her in the stomach with a trombone slide, and he did!" Ash laughed.

"Come on!" Maya led the group down the hill and onto the main path. "Brock can keep the Rockets busy while we escape!"

----------

"There...the Rockets won't find us in here." Maya assured the group as she shut the door to a storage room. With that, Ash, Misty, and Michael slumped to the floor, exhausted. "And before I forget...Brock wanted me to give these to you, Ash." and Maya offered a small pill to Ash. "It's Pikachu's medicine."

"Thanks, Maya!" Ash replied as he took the pill from Maya, unzipped his pack, got out a bottle of water and a small cup, and offered the pill to Pikachu. "Here you go, Pikachu...your medicine." Pikachu popped the pill in his mouth and took a swig of the water, all the while trying to hold back a sneeze.

Just then, Brock burst into the room, also exhausted. "We need to come up with a distraction, and quick! The Rockets are headed this way!" Everyone gasped at this.

"What I want to know is...where did you find the trombone?" Misty asked.

"There's a huge stash of instruments back here..." and Brock led the group into a room at the end of a hallway, flicking on the lights as he entered the room himself. Sure enough, there was a wide array of almost every musical instrument imaginable scattered about the room, even several pianos and drum sets.

"Hey, look what I found!" and Maya emerged from the pile with a clarinet. She blew a few notes on the instrument, pleased with herself.

"Maya...I have an idea!" Brock cried. He motioned everyone into a huddle, then began to describe his plan. "Okay...Ash, Misty...You two need to find instruments...Michael can have the drums in the main room, and Blaze can have the piano...when the Rockets get in here, we'll serenade'em enough to keep them dancing well into the night!"

"Great idea!" Misty agreed. With that, she and Ash began frantically searching through the pile for an instrument. The others hurried back in the main room to get ready.

----------

"Pika pi?" Pikachu asked, cocking his blue hat to one angle.

"You look cute, Pikachu!" Maya commented, fingering her instrument nervously. "I just hope we all can play..."

"I know I can!" Michael called from the drums, tapping out a light beat to prove his point. Blaze joined in with a piano riff. Ash soon joined in on trumpet, adding a sort of countermelody to Blaze's melody.

Then, Pikachu whistled, getting everyone's attention. 'Pika pi, Pika pi!"

"They're coming?" Ash asked. "Quick, everyone get ready!" Michael dimmed the lights as everyone readied their instruments...

"Where'd those twerps go?" Jessie demanded as they burst into the room. "They'll pay for knocking me out! Where are they?" She frantically dug through the boxes and crates with James and Meowth, searching for any sign of the group or Pikachu.

"Hey!" Meowth pointed at a spotlight that had appeared in the center of the stage area, where Pikachu stood, gesturing for the Rocket's to sit down. "He wants us to sit down!"

"Oh, all right..." Jessie grumbled as she sat down and faced the stage in the center of the room. "This better not be a trick..."

Pikachu turned to face Michael and started to rhythmically snap his fingers. "Pika pi, chu, pi ka pi chu!" he whispered. Michael began a light beat in rhythm with Pikachu's snapping. Maya started a jazzy melody to follow Michael's rhythm, then Ash and the others joined in with her, all playing a very recognizable song...

_"Oh when da saints...go marchin' in....oh when da saints go marchin' in...._ Meowth sang along with the group's song. _"Oh how I want to be in dat number...when da saints go marchin' in!"_ Then Ash took the spotlight for the first solo, rapidly going up and down the scale as he played the tune. Jessie and James applauded as the spotlight shifted to Misty as she began to solo.

"I'm impressed..." James noted as he applauded Misty's solo. "I didn't know the twerps even liked jazz!"

"Who cares?" Meowth smiled as he listened to Brock's solo. "Dis has a hot beat!" He led the applause as the spotlight shifted to Blaze, who sat comfortably at the piano.

"You're right, Meowth..." Jessie giggled as she tapped her foot in rhythm with the beat. "This is so catchy, even the Pokemon want to play it too!"

As Blaze concluded his solo, the spotlight shifted to Pikachu as he did a little dance in rhythm to the bass. More applause ensued when he finished, then Michael started banging out a loud rhythm...

Just then, James heard a familiar ringing from his pocket--his cell phone. "Meowth, please see who that is..." he asked.

Meowth clambed over Jessie's shoulder and looked down at the caller ID. "It says 'ROCKET HQ'..."

"The boss!!!!" Jessie gasped. "How are we going to explain all this?"

"Leave it to me!" James assured Jessie as he picked up the phone. "Hello, boss..."

"What's going on with all this racket?" Giovanni demanded.

"Umm..." James stammered. He whispered to Jessie and Meowth, "Quick, make noise like you're having a good time." Jessie and Meowth began yelling and screaming happily as James explained. "We're throwing a Team Rocket Pride party!"

**_"WHAT? I CAN'T HEAR YOU!!!"_** Giovanni screamed.

_**"I SAID, WE'RE THROWING A TEAM ROCKET PRIDE PARTY!!!"**_ James yelled over the drums.

"Oh, a party? I would've loved to come, but I had more pressing things to take care of..." Giovanni chuckled. "You must have gotten a good band this year, everyone sounds like they're having a good time!"

"Wanna hear them?" James offered. He pointed the phone at the group right as Michael concluded his solo.

_"Oh when da saints...go marchin' in....oh when da saints go marchin' in...Oh how I want to be in dat number...when da saints go marchin in!"_ Meowth sang into the phone. "Everybody now!"

_"Oh when the saints...go marching in...oh when the saints go marching in..."_ Jessie and James joined in the singing with Meowth._ "Oh how I want to be in that number...when the saints go marching--_ I can't hear you, Jessie! Back me up!" James begged, then sang again. _Oh when the saints...go marching in...oh when the saints go marching in...Oh how I want to be in that number...when the saints_...

_"Go..."_ Jessie sang.

_"Mar-..."_ Meowth sang, striking a pose

_"-Ching...."_ James sang again.

_**"INNNNNNN!!!!!"**_ all three Rockets sang as the group concluded the song. **"YEAH!!!!!!"**

"Bravo, a most excellent performance!" Giovanni laughed. 'Well, you three enjoy the party, and don't forget to bring some cake back to headquarters..."

"We will, boss!" Jessie replied, and James hung up. "Oh when the saints..." all three Rockets continued, unaware that Ash and the others had disappeared.

----------

"That jazz band act was very clever of you, Brock!" Ash laughed as the group returned to their room.

"It was fun too!" Misty agreed. "We should do that again!"

Michael, meanwhile, collapsed on the couch and flicked on the TV. "I wonder if they're still singing or if they've figured out we're long gone..."

"I bet they're still singing..." Brock laughed as he sat down next to Michael. "So? Did you guys have a good day today? Even if Team Rocket spoiled it?"

"Actually, Pikachu says the jazz band act was the highlight of his day!" Ash laughed as he settled in on the couch and relaxed.

What does tomorrow hold for the Pokepals? Stay tuned!


	19. The Heart of the Cards, part 19: Square ...

_Last time, on "Pokemon: The Heart of the Cards"..._

_With all the duels going on, Ash and friends decide to take a break from the action by spending the day at the park. But everything just seems to go wrong! Ash oversleeps, Pikachu gets sick, and Team Rocket spoils the group's picnic!_

_However, the group devises a plan to keep Team Rocket busy, allowing them to escape! It works so well, Team Rocket is singing well into the night, bringing a day filled wth adventure to a close._

_What lies in store for our heroes today? Find out!_

The Heart of the Cards, part 19: Square Dance Fever

Ash sighed as he glumly flipped through the channels. "Isn't there anything good on?"

"Why don't you play with Pikachu for a while?" Misty suggested as she made the beds. "He could use a little attention."

"Okay, I will..." Ash flicked off the TV and walked over to Pikachu's basket, where Pikachu was sprawled out on his back, staring at the ceiling. "Hey..." he whispered, nudging Pikachu.

"Pika pi..." Pikachu stretched and rolled over to face Ash. "Pikapi?"

"Want to go on a walk?" Ash asked, gesturing to the window, where the warm morning sun was streaming into the room. "It is a nice day, after all..."

"Pika!" Pikachu enthusiastically leaped into Ash's arms, throwing him slightly off balance.

"Goodness, we're excited today, aren't we?" Ash chuckled as he deposited Pikachu onto his shoulder, adjusted his cap, grabbed his pack, and walked towards the door. "If Brock asks where I am, tell him I'm out on a walk. I'll be back in a few hours."

"Okay, I will!" Misty called. She waved goodbye as Ash departed.

----------

Ash stretched as he trotted along the street, observing the citizens of Titian City go about their daily routines. "Isn't this great?" mused to Pikachu. "Sunny day, everyone's out..."

"Pika pika?" Pikachu asked, pointing out a newstand in the distance, where a wide array of newspapers, candy, other books, and small toys were arranged in neat little rows. Some people were seated at several tables, conversing with one another or reading the newspapers they had bought. But none of this concerned Pikachu...he was more interested in the candy. "Pika?" he begged, longingly pointing at the rows of candy.

"Well..." Ash unzipped his pack, reached for his wallet, and opened it. "Let's see..." He searched around for any sort of money, ultimately placing his 500 credits from a few days earlier on an empty table. "I just so happen to have a little bit of money...so tell me what kind you want, and I'll go get it for you, okay?"

"Pika pi!" Pikachu replied, enthusiastically pointing out a row of mint chocolates.

"Think you can wait here while I go get it?" Ash asked. Pikachu nodded and watched as Ash disappeared into the crowd.

---------

"Okay..." Ash sighed as he returned with a mint chocolate bar and a copy of the local paper and sat down. "Here you go..." Pikachu snatched the chocolate from Ash's hand and tore open the wrapper, eager to savor his little treat. "Pika pika!" he replied in between bites.

"You're welcome." Ash replied as he studied the newspaper. "Let's see...Team Rocket heist busted....trading card tournament draws huge crowd...Dance on the square tonight?"

"Pikachu?" Pikachu climbed atop Ash's shoulder to get a closer look at the headline. "Pi pika pikachu?" he asked, pointing at the picture of people dancing.

"Well, a dance is where a bunch of people get together and...well, dance." Ash explained. "Remember that dance in Houen we went to?"....

----------

_"Ash?" May asked as she brought back two glasses of punch, one for herself, the other for Ash. "Don't you want to dance?" Ash just relaxed in his chair and watched the crowd swirl and sway throught the square as the band played a waltz._

_"Pika?" Pikachu climbed up onto Ash's shoulder, eager to try some of the punch._

_"Okay, Pikachu...you can have a taste..." Ash chuckled, slightly tipping the glass towards Pikachu, who happily licked up his share of the sweet mixture of juices and ginger ale._

_"You've been awfully quiet tonight...is there something on your mind?" May asked as she sat down in the chair next to Ash and put an arm around him._

_"Well..." Ash began. "I really can't dance...and Brock looks like he's having fun..." He pointed out Brock and his partner as they waltzed past the stage. A crowd of girls followed them, anxious to get a turn dancing with the former Gym Leader._

_"Sure you can dance!" May assured Ash. "I've seen you do it!"_

_"Okay, I can't slow dance...so I've been waiting for the band to play something reasonably fast..." Ash sighed, applauding the band as they concluded the waltz._

_May offered her hand to Ash as the band began a lively reel. "You may just get your wish! Come on!" She lead Ash out into the crowd and began to twirl him around in rhythm to the music._

_"May, not so fast, I'm getting dizzy!" Ash protested as he was swung and twirled about...._

----------

"...May was spinning me so fast, I was dizzy afterward." Ash continued his story. "But all in all, it was a memorable evening."

"Pika pi, pika pika..." Pikachu sang, all the while imitating Ash's dance with the candy wrapper as his "partner". He spun the wrapper around as he danced, ultimately spinning it into the trash.

"Well, aren't you clever?" Ash cooed as Pikachu climbed back onto his shoulder. He stretched and slung his backpack onto his back. "Come on, let's head back." and with that, walked off down the street.

---------

"Misty, I'm back!" Ash called as he returned to the room.

"Oh, did you enjoy your walk?" Misty asked, looking up from the novel she was reading.

"Yeah!" Ash replied as he unzipped his pack and set the newspaper on the kitchen table. "We went down to the newstand on the square and relaxed there."

"You got the paper?" Brock asked as he walked into the kitchen and stuck two pieces of bread in the toaster. "Are we on the front page?"

"Nah..." Ash replied. "But there is something special going on tonight..."

"Oh?" Brock was interested. Just as he was about to move closer to get a better look at the headline, a knock came at the door.

"I'll get that!" Misty called. She strolled over to the door and let Maya and Michael in. "How are you guys today?"

"Hey, toast!" Michael paid no attention to Misty's question as he grabbed two pieces of bread for himself and stuck them in the toaster.

Maya sighed as she sat down. "Michael had a Junior League team meeting this morning, so he didn't get a chance to have breakfast."

"Well, Ash found an interesting item in today's paper..." Misty noted as she went to look at the headline Ash was studying. "Dance in the Square Tonight?" she asked, interested.

"Oh, the annual Western Dance is tonight!" Maya exclaimed. "The Western Dance is a fundraiser the local card leagues put on every year to raise money for children with life-threatening diseases..."

"How sweet..." Misty mused.

"You'll be dancing the night away for a good cause!" Michael added. "Last year, we raised over a million credits!"

"Wow!" Ash was impressed. "Why don't we all go? We don't have anything better to do tonight..."

"I'll go!" Brock volunteered as he put his plate in the sink and walked off to the other room. "If you guys need me, I'll be practicing!"

"I don't know..." Misty was unsure. "I've never been to any kind of dance before..." Her thoughts were interrupted by a horrible screech from the other room. "What was that?" she asked. Just then, Pikachu and Togepi ran in from the other room, ears covered. "What is it, you guys?"

"Pipika pika pi..." Pikachu began, "playing" an imaginary fiddle to prove his point. "Pi pika pika pi pika pipipi!" He gestured to Togepi, who was sniffling from holding back tears.

Misty sighed. "I wish Brock wouldn't practice fiddle this early in the morning..." Just then, another earsplitting screech pierced the air, causing everyone to shield their ears!

"Look at it this way, Misty...be thankful Brock is not practicing the drums." Michael assured her.

"Well, even the drums would sound better than this!" Misty complained over another sickening screech.

"Are you guys making fun of my fiddle playing?" Brock called from the other room. "I'm just running through some new material!"

"Play something you know, please!" Misty begged. No sooner had she said this, did a BEAUTIFUL rendition of "_The Dancing Treecko Rag",_ a dance tune, come flowing from the other room.

"Now that's more like it!" Misty cried. "Dance with me!" she begged as she grabbed Ash by the arm.

"Misty....!" Ash protested as Misty dragged him out onto the floor, but he sighed, knowing it would be of little use to argue and spoil Misty's high spirits.

"Swing your partner, do-si-do!" Michael called, playing the role of a square dance caller. Ash swung Misty to the left, then twirled her with his other hand. "Now swing your partner back to the left and promenade!"

Maya laughed as she watched Ash and Misty whirl about the floor to the soulful song of the fiddle. "If you two keep going like that, you'll probably be a star at the dance tonight!"

----------

"Wow! I never dreamed that there would be so many people here!" Misty cried as she led the group into the ballroom, where a large crowd of people clad in Western attire where swirling around in intricate patterns, all to the rollicking beats of the band and the commands of the caller.

"Hey, Misty, your hat's crooked..." Ash noted. pointing out the white cowgirl hat that lay askew on Misty's head.

"Oh, it is?" Misty asked, blushing as she adjusted her hat so it was on straight.

"So she dusted off her boots and put her cowboy hat on straight..." Brock mockingly sang as Misty struggled to look presentable.

"I heard that!" Misty yelled. Brock just snickered, pleased with himself as he watched the crowd dance.

"You know, Maya..." Ash began as he tied a bandanna around his neck. "It was a great idea to get us all these great clothes!"

"Pika pi!" Pikachu agreed as he modeled a cowboy's vest and hat, complete with a little sheriff's badge, for Maya. Togepi tottled along behind him, also wearing cowboy attire.

"Aw...." Misty cooed, picking up Togepi. "You look so cute in that!"

"Togiiiii-ha!" Togepi replied, waving his hat in the air.

Pikachu, meanwhile, settled down on the chair next to Brock. "Pika..."

"Howdy, Sheriff Pikachu." Brock began. "Caught any bandits lately?"

"Pika pika pikachu?" Pikachu asked, unrolling a picture depicting stick figures of Jessie, James, and Meowth, all in Western attire. The word **'WANTID'** was written out at the top in bold, black letters.

Maya just laughed. "Did you really draw that? All by yourself?"

"Pipipi pika....pika." Pikachu explained, gesturing to Togepi, who was apparently having fun playing 'Ponyta' on Misty's lap.

Just then, Ash heard the band start to play _"The Dancing Treecko Rag"--_the same song Brock had played earlier! "Hey, Misty...can you dance with me, please?"

"Sure!" Misty replied, depositing Togepi on the chair she had been sitting in. Ash took her by the hand, and the two joined the crowd in the dance...

---------

"Ow! That's my foot you're standing on!" Jessie complained as she led the other Rockets through the backstage area.

"Why is is so dark in here?" Meowth complained as he groped in the darkness. "I can't see a thing!"

"We're almost there!" James assured the group as he heard the crowd applaud the song. "Now, Meowth, you grab Pikachu while Jessie and I distract the audience..."

----------

"Whew...that was fun, Ash!" Misty giggled as she applauded the band.

"Would you like to dance some m-" Ash started, but a distress cry that sounded vaguely familiar interrupted him. "Pikachu?" He was about to go check on Pikachu when a huge crash came from the stage, causing the whole crowd to gasp.

Misty sighed. "Oh no, not again...."

"We've come to town to rustle up some trouble!" Jessie announced to the crowd as she finished tying up the bandleader.

"When it's time for a showdown, you'll be seeing double!" James agreed as he tied up the remaining band members.

"You let the band go, RIGHT NOW!!!" Misty demanded.

"Oh yeah, try and make us!" James retorted.

Misty turned to answer James' taunt when a whistle echoed through the hall. "Huh?"

"What?" Jessie watched, surprised, as Brock appeared on the stage, calmly sawing away at his fiddle. "I thought we'd tied up the band!"

"Step we gaily, on we go, heel for heel and toe for toe!" Brock commanded. At this, Jessie grabbed James and began to twirl him about, only stopping to touch her heel, then her toe, to the floor.

"But..." James protested as Jessie dragged him across the floor.

"You heard the caller, now do as he says!" Jessie retorted as she attempted to get James to follow along.

"Arm and arm and row on row; swing your partner, do-si-do!" Brock commanded, snickering as the Rockets copied his call. _"While I have them occupied, I might as well keep them busy while someone notifies the police..."_ he thought as the spinning Rockets nearly crashed into the back wall of the room, nearly squishing Meowth and the sack with Pikachu inside!

"Brock! Tell them to release Pikachu!" Ash called.

"Hey there, let that Pikachu go, he didn't do a thing to hold up this show!" Brock commanded. Jessie and James watched as Meowth rhythmically untied the sack, freeing Pikachu, who ran into Ash's waiting arms.

"That was very clever of Brock to get you out of there like that!" Ash cooed as he scratched Pikachu's head. "Who knows what else he has up his sleeve..."

----------

Jessie sighed as she danced. "I never would've imagined the our plot would be crashed by the caller, of all people!"

"Hey, look!" Meowth called, snapping Jessie from her thoughts. "Da janitor's closet is right over here!"

Jessie turned to look in the direction Meowth was pointing, spotting the closet's entrance nearby a dark hallway. "Well, so it is!"

"Maybe we can find somethin' to keep da caller quiet so we can catch Pikachu again!" Meowth suggested. He waited as his comrades danced over to the closet door, opened it, and began rummaging through the cleaning supplies, trash bags, buckets, and other items, all the while keeping step with the music.

"This should do it!" Jessie announced, triumphantly holding a bucket of hot water in the air. "Now to go dump this on the caller!" She was about to lead the others out when...

"Hey now, what's the bucket for? Why don't you use it to clean the floor?" Brock commanded from the stage.

Jessie rolled her eyes. ""When in Rome..." she sighed, dumping the hot water onto James and Meowth.

**_"YEEEEEEEEOOOOOOOOOOWWWWWWWCH!"_** Meowth cried, dancing around the closet in pain.

"What was THAT for?" James also demanded as he tended to several burn wounds on his hands. "Now we're both burnt and soaking wet!"

"Well, the caller said for me to dump it out onto you guys, so I did!" Jessie protested.

"He needs some hot water dumped on him, dat's for sure!" Meowth grumbled as he grabbed a mop from the clutter. "Or maybe a good whack on da head should do it!" With that, he lead the soaked Rockets out of the closet and towards the stage, where Brock was still playing one rousing fiddle tune after another. Just before Meowth could aim...

"Time for a cleanup, you don't need a broom, so whack those Rockets across the room!" Brock commanded with a wink in the Rocket's direction.

"Oh no..." James braced himself for the impending whack...

**_THWACK!_** "Fore!" Meowth called as he sent Jessie and James hurtling across the room, where they both crashed into the refreshment table. Jessie emerged from the mess picking bonbons from her hair.

"Happy landings!" Meowth chortled as he threw the mop aside and ran to help his comrades.

"You stay out of this..." James grumbled as he picked bits of taco shells from his shirt.

"Well, we know things couldn't get any worse..." Jessie sighed as she brushed herself clean. No sooner had she said that...

"Goodness, you guys are a hungry brood, so why don't you share all of that food?" Brock taunted the Rockets as he started another song.

"Translation: FOOD FIGHT!!!" Meowth cried, hurling a tomato in James' direction. James countered by tossing some pears at Meowth.

"Yah!" Jessie countered by throwing a pie at James, but James ducked, causing the coconut custard missile to land on Meowth!

"Why you..." Meowth grumbled, slapping a banana peel on Jessie.

"Take that!" Jessie defended herself from the rain of produce by flinging the afterdinner mints at Meowth.

"Bombs away!" James called, firing a brownie at Jessie...

---------

"Boy, when the caller said share the food, I don't think he meant a food fight..." James groaned as he waited for his shirt to come out of the dryer.

"Food fight or not, our plot's been ruined enough!" Jessie snapped. "I don't even want to know what the boss would say if we told him about tonight..."

"Den if he calls, don't tell him!" Meowth suggested. "What we really need to do is break that fiddle da caller's using!"

"And if that doesn't work, the boss might as well turn you into a bunch of fiddle strings and play you!" Jessie roared, exasperated. Meowth, frightened by Jessie's threat, slunk behind a towel dispenser, cowering in fear.

"Well..." James sighed as he pulled his now clean shirt over his head. "The least we can do is escape..." Just as he opened the door, another fiddle tune came blaring into the bathroom, causing James to start tapping his foot again. He quickly slammed the door and slumped to the floor. "The caller's still out there, still playing...either he's soloing or waiting for us to come out..."

"Den let's just sit here and wait until he stops!" Meowth suggested.

"Yeah! Sooner or later he's going to run out of songs to play, that's when we bail!" Jessie agreed. The other Rockets nodded in agreement.

---------

"Is he done yet?" Jessie asked. "We've been waiting for an hour now..."

"I'll check..." and James crept up to the bathroom door, pressed his ear against it, and listened hard. "I don't hear anything."

"Maybe he's stopped?" Jessie asked as she struggled to carry several bars of soap and some rolls of toliet paper. "At least the boss will be thankful we got him some fresh soap..."

"Come on..." James carefully opened the door and led the Rockets through the darkened hall. But before they could open the exit door...

"Thought I was finished? Done? Oh no..." Brock called as the lights came up in the room and the stage, surprising the three Rockets! "I still have plenty more tunes to go!" With that, he raised his fiddle to his chin once again and started yet another tune, causing the Rockets to dance again!

**_"AUGH!"_** Jessie cried, dropping the soap she was carrying as the fiddle's song consumed her body yet again.

"Yeee-ahhhh!" James and Meowth struggled to keep their balance as they slid across the room, entangling themselves and Jessie in toilet paper in the process. Finally, they came to a screeching halt nearby an exit door.

"Well, we know things couldn't get any worse..." James sighed. At that moment, his cell phone rang. "Oh no..."

"If that's who I think it is..." Jessie groaned.

James shakily picked up the phone. "H-hello?"

"What is with all this blasted fiddle music?" Giovanni demanded. "It's scaring Layla!" Some yowls from a Persian permated the background.

"Sorry boss, we'll..." James started...

"Hey, put down the phone and listen well, march on over and ring that bell!" Brock commanded, pointing out a large blue button with a bell symbol on it with his bow. Jessie used Meowth as a balance as she hit the button, completely unaware of what the description of the button read: **POLICE ALARM....**

-----------

"So, Officer Jenny came after you made Team Rocket push the police alarm?" Misty asked as she watched the news in the Dome's lounge the next morning.

"Sure did!" Brock laughed. "You should have been there!"

"Well, they evacuated us after Team Rocket came!" Ash explained. "We were all looking for you!" He was about to see more when...

"So, the famous Ash-man and friends are here?" a voice called.

"Huh?" Ash looked up and saw Brawly and Shawna standing over him. "You guys...what are you doing here?"

"Oh, we just needed a little vacation..." Shawna explained as she gave the others hugs. "We were on our way down to Fuschia Beach to check out the surfing there, and Brawly suggested we stop over here!"

"At any rate, it's good to see you!" Ash laughed.

"Now, I understand trading cards are the big thing here, so I bought a few packs of them and made a deck..." Shawna continued as she unzipped her bag and dug out a deck tin with a Meditite on it. "Brawly helped by donating some of his cards...but I don't know who I should challenge."

"Fancy taking me on?" Brock called from an arena, where he was leaning against the Sapphire platform.

Misty sighed as Shawna ran over to the Ruby platform. "When will he ever learn?"...

Can Brock keep his romantic instincts in check long enough to win the third round? Stay tuned!


	20. The Heart of the Cards, part 20: Two Per...

_Last time, on "Pokemon: The Heart of the Cards"...._

_While on a stroll through Titian City, Ash discovers that there is a dance going on in the town square. While the others are more than interested in going, Misty is not so sure....but a quick dance on the kitchen floor soon changes her tune!_

_However, the group's dreams of dancing the night away are soon shattered when Team Rocket comes and crashes the party! However, instead of panicking like everyone else does, Brock uses his wiles and his trusty fiddle to send Team Rocket dancing off to the slammer._

_The group then returns to the arena the next morning to find Brawly and Shawna waiting for them, and in rush of romantic interest, Brock proposes a duel with Shawna for the third round in the championship!_

_Can Brock hold his instincts in check long enough to win the round? Find out!_

The Heart of the Cards, part 20: Two Perfect Storms

Misty sighed. "I never knew that we would initiate our own third round duel..."

"Well, a duel is a duel, and Shawna looks to be a promising duelist..." Maya mused as the scoreboard blipped to life with the deck information: RUBY DEWFORD TEMPEST SAPPHIRE ROCK STORM.

"Let's just Brock doesn't go into romantic mode while he duels...this is serious stuff." Michael replied as the ref blew the whistle, signaling that Brock had won the toss. The scoreboard also updated with the HP count; RUBY: 3 3 4 53 200 SAPPHIRE 2 4 4 53 180...

-----------

"Go for it, Geodude!" Brock commanded, flipping up his active card. A Geodude hurried into the arena, eager to battle.

"I choose...Meditite!" Shawna commanded, flipping up her active card. A Meditite twirled into the arena and struck a battle pose.

"Sapphire's turn!"

Brock started by attaching a Fighting Energy to his Geodude. "Geodude, Tackle the Meditite!" he commanded. The Geodude slammed into the unsuspecting Meditite with such force, it begin to teeter backwards. Thankfully, it recovered enough to assume a seated position, where it waited for an order from Shawna. Shawna's HP, however, went down by 10.

"Ruby's turn!"

"Meditite, Punch the Geodude!" Shawna commanded. The Meditite wound up and delivered a harsh jab to the Geodude's face, stunning it. Brock's HP went down by 10.

"Sapphire's turn!"

Brock set aside the Fire Energy he had drawn into his hand. _"Better save this for Vulpix.."_ he thought as he attached a second Fighting Energy to Geodude. "Geodude, Rock Toss!" he commanded. The Meditite tried to dodge the oncoming avalanche, but was soon buried under the rocks. Shawna's HP went down by 20.

"Ruby's turn!"

Shawna quickly attached a Psychic Energy to Meditite, then commanded "Meditate on thoughts of winning!" The Meditite closed its eyes and began to hum thoughtfully...

"What's it doing?" Brock was confused.

"Oh, Meditate acts like a Pluspower by boosting Meditite's attack for three turns, and it also does damage too!" Shawna giggled. "So get ready to kiss your Geodude goodbye!"

Brock swallowed hard as the Meditite started to focus on a ball of red energy in its hands. After a few minutes, the pulsing crimson orb slammed into his Geodude, causing his HP to drop by 20.

"Sapphire's turn!"

"Don't get cocky just yet, for I have a secret weapon..." and Brock displayed Graveler lv. 32 to the audience. He overlaid that on top of the Geodude, making a Graveler appear in its place and boosting his HP to 200. "Okay! Rock Toss!" he commanded, motioning to the ref.

-----------

"You were right, Maya!" Ash smiled. "Shawna IS a pretty good duelist..."

"Well, I've analyzed her bench and noticed she has something special..." Maya explained, turning the Pokenavi to where the others could see. "See this?" she asked, pointing out a lone purple dot against two brown dots on the bench.

"I know that the dots stand for types of cards, and brown and purple stand for Fighting and Psychic, respectively...." Ash noted. "But what's so special about that Psychic card?"

"It's a Psychic Baltoy, a special edition holo card you can only get in the Challenge Hall in Dewford Town." Michael explained. "Shawna must've either dueled a lot to get that card or gotten really lucky while looking through booster packs."

"And what's the difference between that and a normal Baltoy?" Misty asked as she watched Brock take one of his prizes.

"A normal Baltoy is a Fighting type..." Michael explained.

"Will Brock be able to defeat it if she brings it out?" Misty asked, pausing to watch Shawna place a Makuhita in the arena.

"Of course!" Ash replied, turning his cap back confidently.

"Huh?" The others turned to look at Ash, eager for an answer.

"See, as a little thank you to Brock for letting me borrow his cards in my duel with May, I let him have one of my spare Abras and Kadabras..." Ash explained. "So now we ALL have one!"...

-----------

"Ruby's turn!"

"Makuhita, Fling Out!" Shawna commanded. She watched with a smirk as the Makuhita hoisted the Graveler in the air and tossed it back onto Brock's bench, bringing out an Abra lv. 10 in its place. The Abra brushed itself clean, then turned to look at Brock, expectantly waiting an order.

"Sapphire's turn!"

_"Well, well...what an opportunity..."_ Brock smirked as he attached a Psychic Energy to Abra. _"I don't think Shawna knows that Fighting is weak to Psychic...she'll DEFINITELY know when I unleash Kadabra next turn!"_ With that thought in mind, he commanded "Abra, Psyshock!"

The ref blew the whistle, getting everyone's attention. "Coin toss! If heads, Ruby is paralyzed!..." The coin went up...and landed on heads! The Abra, meanwhile, formed a pulsing blue ball of energy in its fingertips, then focused the power at the Makuhita, enclosing it in a ring of thunderbolts. Shawna's HP went down by 20.

"Ruby's turn!"

Shawna calmly attached a Psychic Energy to her waiting Baltoy. _"Let's just see how his Kadabra fares against my special card..." _she thought as she ended her turn.

"Sapphire's turn!"

Brock reached for the Kadabra lv. 38 Ash had given him, looked at it, and grinned. _"Thank you, Ash...this victory's for you..."_ With that, he overlaid the Kadabra card into the arena, making a Kadabra appear in its place, and attached a Psychic Energy and a Defender to it, before ending his turn.

"Ruby's turn!"

"Makuhita, Fling out the Kadabra and let me finish off that Graveler!" Shawna commanded, arrogantly tossing her hair back as she watched her Makuhita try three times to lift the Kadabra, only to be blocked with a blue shield every time.

"Ruby's attack missed!" the ref announced. "Sapphire's turn!"

Brock smiled as he attached his last Psychic Energy to Kadabra, then commanded. "Kadabra, Super Psy!" The Kadabra summoned a glowing blue ball of energy, then hurled it at the Makuhita, defeating it!

-----------

"Okay...Shawna's bringing out her Psychic Baltoy next..." Ash noted as Shawna placed the card in the arena, making a shiny Baltoy appear in the arena. He was about to say more when a purple mist went wafting through the room, making everyone cough.

"That's..." Maya started, but couldn't say more due to the coughing fit.

Michael was the first one to recover from the mist. "What Maya was trying to say was...Psychic Baltoy has an attack called Psymist...which is a slightly stronger version of Abra's Psyshock."

"Not to mention that it's nauseating to the audience..." Ash sputtered as he wiped his watery eyes.

----------

"Is everyone okay?" the referree asked as she waited for the sniffling audience to recover.

"I'm okay, but I'm not so sure about my opponent..." Shawna smirked confidently as she watched the still sniffling Brock waft away the remaining vapors of Psymist.

The ref waited for a moment, then announced "Sapphire's turn!"

_"Whew...that was a powerful attack..."_ Brock thought as he regained his composure. Just when he was about to administer his next order, the low and labored breathing of his Kadabra snapped him back to reality. _"Uh oh..."_ He quickly checked the scoreboard, only to discover that his Kadabra's HP was in the red zone!

Shawna, meanwhile, snickered at Brock's panicked expression. "While you were still busy sniffling and sneezing, the Psymist managed to weaken your Kadabra! And I'll bet that you'll still be suffering when you see him in your discard!"

"That's what you think!" Brock countered as he displayed a Super Potion to the audience. He laid the card in the play area, making a red bottle appear in the arena. "There you go..." he smiled as the Kadabra drank down the contents of the bottle, then kicked it away into the crowd and reassumed a battle pose behind the familiar blue shield of the Defender.

"Ruby's turn!"

"Baltoy, Psymist!" Shawna commanded, pulling up her shirt to protect herself as another blast of Psymist went flying into the room. However, neither Brock, the crowd, nor the Kadabra didn't even bat an eye.

"Sapphire's turn!"

"Kadabra, Super Psy!" Brock commanded, smiling confidently as the Kadabra fired a blue energy ball at the Baltoy. The attack proved to be too much for the Baltoy, so it fell, defeated!

Shawna was shocked! "Well, aren't you clever to defeat my lucky card...but I'm not through yet!" and she placed a Barboach lv. 18 in the arena.

"Ruby's turn!"

"Barboach, Mud Slap!" Shawna commanded, tossing her hair back as she watched mud splatter into the arena. The Kadabra began to wipe the mud out of its eyes in an attempt to focus on its next attack.

"Sapphire's turn!"

"Kadabra! Super Psy!" Brock commanded, swallowing hard as the blue energy ball went flying. The crowd braced itself at the loud explosion, then hushed as it waited on the ref's announcement.

After five excruciating minutes, the announcement came! "Game set! Sapphire wins!"

-----------

"Well, I'm impressed!" Brawly began as the group assembled by the arena. "I've tried so hard to beat Shawna's Psychic Baltoy, but she keeps creaming me!"

"Yeah...what's your secret?" Shawna asked Brock as he proudly flashed the Thunder Crest before her

"If I told you, it wouldn't be a secret anymore, now would it?" Brock replied with a wink. He waved goodbye as Shawna and Brawly disappeared into the crowd....

Can the Pokepals continue to advance? Stay tuned!


	21. The Heart of the Cards, part 21: Pikachu...

_Last time on "Pokemon: The Heart of the Cards"...._

_The Pokepal's third round duel begins in earnest as Brock attempts to woo Shawna, the apprentice to Dewford Gym's Brawly, by showing off his dueling skills. Before long, Brock has taken down Shawna's first two cards with his Kadabra, threatening to sweep the duel!_

_However, Shawna also has a few tricks up her sleeve, nearly knocking out Brock's Kadabra with her lucky card: a rare Psychic Baltoy. Just when it seems like a neck and neck duel is developing, Brock turns the tables on Shawna and wins the Thunder Crest with a simple strategy: Psychic always beats other Psychics._

_Can the Pokepals continue their advance through the tournament? What will our heroes face today? Find out!_

The Heart of the Cards, part 21: Pikachu's Shocking Discovery

"Unngh..." Ash rolled around in his bed, trying to find a comfortable position to sleep. _"After all that excitement today, I can't sleep..."_ he mused as he tried again to get comfortable. Finally, he turned to face the window, where the pale blue sky was starting to fill with wisps of pink and orange as the sun peeked over the hill. "_Well, the sun's coming up, and then it'll be time to get up anyway...so there's no point in going back to sleep..." _Ash sighed as he threw off the covers, climbed out of bed, and tiptoed to the kitchen, being extra careful not to wake Misty or Brock.

As he trudged towards the kitchen, he passed the small alcove where Pikachu and Togepi were sleeping. "_Guess I'll see if Pikachu's ready to wake up..."_ he thought as he bent down and gently nudged Pikachu. "Hey..."

"Pika...chuuuu..." Pikachu yawned as he sat up and rubbed his eyes. "Pika?"

"Good morning..." Ash whispered. "Hungry?"

"Pika..." Pikachu replied as he carefully climbed aboard Ash's hand.

"Come on then..." and Ash carried Pikachu into the kitchen

---------

After finishing a hearty breakfast and getting dressed, Ash grabbed a piece of paper and scribbled a short message:

_Guys,_

_I've gone out to the park for a while. Will be back in a few hours._

_--Ash o-o_

"Pika pi!" Pikachu replied as he admired the sketch of a Pikachu next to Ash's signature.

"It DOES look like you, doesn't it?" Ash smiled as he slung his pack on his back, grabbed his cap from the hat stand, and started out the door. Pikachu followed along behind him, happily nibbling on a biscuit.

-----------

When the twosome arrived at the park, Ash wasted no time in settling down under a tree, where he and Pikachu watched the sky turn shades of pink, orange and yellow, heralding the sunrise.

"Pika..." Pikachu watched in awe as the rising sun bathed the world in light and warmth. Inspired by this thought, he hurried over to Ash's pack and began to rummage through it.

"Huh?" Ash looked over at Pikachu as he continued to dig through the pack. "What are you looking for?" No sooner had he asked this, he felt the sensation of something being placed on his lap--his Pokeflute!

"Pikapi? Pika pika pi pi chu!" Pikachu begged eagerly.

"Okay..." Ash chuckled as he brushed the dust off of his instrument. "What do you want me to play?"

"Pika!" Pikachu replied, obviously excited.

"Anything?" Ash thought for a moment, then started a hauntingly beautiful air--one that Melody had taught him before his adventure with Lugia.

"Pika chu..." Pikachu interrupted, shaking a tambourine earnestly.

"Oh, you wanna dance, then?" and Ash started a rousing rendition of _"The Trick House Reel",_ a dance tune May had taught him. Pikachu danced nearby, shaking and banging his tambourine for percussion, obviously enjoying the ever growing crowd that came to listen to Ash perform...

---------

After a while, Pikachu had tired of dancing, and Ash heaved from playing a long stretch of dance tunes. "Whew..." he sighed. "Playing all of that is hard work!"

"Pika pi..." Pikachu agreed, slumping down to the grass. But before he could get comfortable, he spotted a shiny object embedded in the grass nearby a tree. "Pika?"

"What is that? Well, bring it to me and I'll look at it." Ash assured Pikachu. Pikachu gave a quick nod to Ash, then skittered off into the grass. He returned a few moments later, clutching the shiny object in his mouth. Ash took the object from Pikachu and looked at it for a moment, taking special note of the shiny back. "Hmm...it seems to be a card, but I don't know of any cards that look like this." he explained.

"Pika pi Pichupika? Pika pi!" Pikachu suggested.

"You want to ask Maya? Okay, we will." With that, Ash slung his pack on his back and started down the path. "Brock and Misty are probably wondering where we are, anyway..."

---------

"We're back!" Ash called as he returned to the room, where the others were just beginning to sit down to breakfast.

"Did you enjoy your sunrise walk?" Misty asked.

"Yeah! Pikachu enjoyed the run too..." Ash replied as he grabbed two pieces of bacon from the counter and sat down.

"Did you just go walking or what?" Maya asked, interested.

"Actually, Pikachu found this," Ash explained, setting the shiny card before Maya. "and he wants to know what it is."

Michael took a look at the card and gasped. "Is that what I think it is?"

"There's only one way to find out..." Maya assured him as she inspected the glittery back, then inspected the bottom of the card's front.

"Well?" Ash asked, impatient.

"Pi pika, Pichupika?" Pikachu agreed.

Maya smiled as she returned the card to Ash. "Congratulations. You're the proud owner of a super rare Charizard holo card!"

Ash's mouth dropped open. "REALLY?"

"Those were given out as prizes for the Cinnabar Island Championships last year." Michael explained. "There are only a hundred of them in existance, so keep that one safe."

"Wow..." Ash stared at the beautiful card, mesmerized by the tiny rainbows its shiny back projected onto the table. "I'm going to go put it in my deck right now!" With that, he raced into the bedroom, reached for his deck tin, and slipped the card inside.

"I'm sure it'll help you in the rounds ahead!" Maya smiled, leaning back in her chair and looking out the window.

"Have we received any challenges?" Brock asked as he put his plate in the sink.

"No, but you can initiate a challenge...duels are taking place outside today." Maya explained. "The grand hall is being renovated, so they moved some portable arenas outside so the tournament can continue."

"Cool!" Misty rushed over to her bed and grabbed a pair of sunglasses for herself. "Let's go outside and watch!"

"Good, maybe I can get some more tournament brackets..." Brock mused as he trudged towards the bathroom and started the shower.

"Michael's already outside, so I'll tell him you guys are coming!" Maya assured the group as she left.

"We'll be there as soon as we finish getting ready!" Ash called after Maya.

---------

"There...that's the last of our supplies." James began as he moved a few more boxes inside an underground chamber.

"It sure was nice of da boss to bail us out ofda slammer!" Meowth giggled. "But why did he give us all dese boxes?"

"He said something about parts...for a plan!" Jessie explained as she collapsed in a chair, exhausted. "It was hard work moving the boxes here!"

"I wonder what's in them?" Meowth asked, climbing on top of the largest box and tearing open the top.

Jessie walked over and peered inside the box, where various metal pieces, dials, gauges, and other odds and ends were carefully packed inside. "Hmm..." she mused. "Whatever this is supposed to be, it looks like it'll be huge!"

"Well, you'd tinkda factory would give us an instruction manual or something..." Meowth grumbled, as he rummaged through the box, looking for any sort of material explaining how to use the strange contraption.

"Already found it!" James announced, waving a small booklet in the other's direction. Jessie and Meowth closed up the box and listened as James studied the assembly instructions. "Take body piece A and connect it to body piece B....then take socket C and place in hole D...."

"Hold on, you're going too fast!" Jessie exclaimed as she struggled to screw in the socket.

"You're toining it the wrong way!" Meowth noted. "Gimmie da screwdriver for a second!" With that, he started to screw in the socket...but the socket popped loose from the hole and tumbled to the ground.

Jessie sighed. "See? I WAS turning it the right way to begin with!"...

**_A few hours later..._**

"There..." James sighed as he hammered the last piece of metal in place. "It's finished!" The three Rockets took a few steps back and admired their handiwork: a huge silvery tank with a vacuum hose attached to the front.

"Wow..." Jessie gasped.

"Took long enough..." Meowth sighed. "Remind me to scratch whoever writes those instruction manuals really good...."

"Don't worry, I will..." James assured Meowth as he climbed inside the huge monstrosity and turned the key, causing the strange machine to hum to life!

"Come on!" Meowth led Jessie aboard the mecha, and the three Rockets began to burrow their way out of the underground base...

----------

"Hi, you guys!" Michael called as Maya and the group walked out onto the waterfront. In addition to the red and blue arenas that dotted the piers, there were also games, a few rides, and food stalls everywhere. "Maya said you were coming, so lets just sit back, relax, and enjoy the duels out here in the breeze!"

"I will admit, this is much better than being in that stuffy hall!" Ash began as he settled inside a beach chair. "Not to mention you can see the arenas better!" With that, he leaned back and watched the duel unfold.

"At least to don't have to fight your way through a few thousand people just to see!" Misty smiled as the girl on the Ruby side commanded her Kirlia to attack. The Kirlia formed a small purple ball in its hands and fired it at the opponent, a Manetric.

"Good shot!" Ash commented, applauding the girl on her move.

"Pika pika?" Pikachu asked, longingly glancing at the hot dog stand.

"Ash, I think Pikachu wants a hot dog." Brock noted as he made a few notes on the unfolding duel.

"Okay..." Ash slowly stood up from his chair and deposited Pikachu on his shoulder. "I'll be sure and ask for extra ketchup."

"Pika..." Pikachu smiled as Ash got in the line for hot dogs.

Brock couldn't resist snickering about Pikachu. "I know how he likes his ketchup..."

"Huh?" Michael was confused.

"It's a long story..." Brock sighed.

"Not quite..." Misty interjected. "See, we were traveling one day, and we stopped somewhere for lunch. As we waited for our food, Pikachu found the ketchup, somehow managed to open it, and started eating it from the bottle!" Everyone cracked up at this...but no sooner had they calmed down, the entire waterfront began to rumble and shake.

Maya gasped. "What's going on?

"Earthquake!" Michael called.

"No, wait!" Misty called, gesturing to a gigantic crack forming in the pavement. "There's something coming up from the ground!" Everyone watched as a giant silvery tank with a vacuum hose in the front burst from the ground, leveling several arenas and scattering the crowds!

"What in the world..." Brock asked, awed by the sparkling monstrosity.

Just then, Jessie and James appeared from the tank's exit door. "Give us your cards and don't cause us any trouble!" Jessie demanded, causing the crowd to gasp.

"And if you do resist, your pain will be double!" James agreed. With that, he flicked the switch on the vacuum hose, brewing up a huge windstorm that started sucking up hundreds of deck tins!

"RUN!" Michael called to the others, but the vacuum's suction was too powerful for anyone to take one step.

"My cards!" Misty cried, helplessly watching as her Starmie tin was sucked into the tank.

"NO!" Brock tried his hardest to hold onto his prized Geodude tin, but it was ultimately squeezed through his hands and inside the tank.

"There goes my deck..." Maya grumbled as her tin was also sucked away.

"GIMME BACK MY CARDS!!!" Misty demanded over the whoosh of the vacuum.

"Sorry miss, they're OURS now!" James chortled as he shut the vacuum off.

Just then, Ash returned with a hot dog drowned in ketchup. "Hey guys, what's...with....the...." he started as he looked up at the giant tank. "Oh my...."

"That tank just vacuumed up all our cards!" Michael explained. "We have to try and get them back!"

"Then, I have an idea!" With that, Misty ran up to the tank and started to bang on it with clenched fists. Surprisingly enough, the group's tins slid out onto the ground!

Ash was impressed. "Hmm...maybe that tank has a weak point?"

"And I just so happen to know what it is..." Brock smiled, reaching for several kazoos from his pocket and giving them to the group. "I was going to give these to the Pokemon, but they might come in handy now!"

"How is a kazoo going to get our cards back?" Michael wondered.

"I saw this on TV once..." Brock explained as he finished dividing up the small toys.

"What are you twerps plotting down there?" Jessie yelled from her position atop the tank.

"You do realize that our vacuum tank is indestructible..." James cautioned, pleased with all the decks the Rockets had gathered.

"Okay, on the count of three..." Brock called to the others. "A-one, a-two, a-one, two, three!" With that, he began to buzz a familiar song...

"Hey, that's the Zelda theme!" Misty cried. She led the others into the song, making a four part harmony.

Jessie covered her ears from the noise. "You call THAT music? Stop that racket!" She then sniffed the air. "That's funny, do you guys smell something burning?

James looked over at his position and noticed the tank had blue sparks and smoke criss-crossing it as it struggled to hold together. "Uh oh..."

"I have a bad feeling about this..." Meowth sighed, bracing himself for the impending explosion.

**_KA-POW!!!_** Ash watched as the tank exploded in a bright red nova, sending the three Rockets flying. "Looks like Team Rocket's blasting off AGAAAAINNN!!!! ping. Then, deck tins began to rain down on the pavement, ensuing in a mad scramble!

---------

"Brock, you're a genius!" Maya smiled. "How did you know what to do?

"Easy..." Brock explained. "When I saw Misty banging on the tank, I noticed that it broke loose in that place; so I concluded that the mecha was weak to sound waves."

"Well, although your plan was a little bit strange, I am glad to get my deck back..." Michael began. "In fact, I feel like initating a challenge right now!"

"But Michael, who are you going to duel?" Maya asked, curious.

"I choose Misty as my opponent." Michael explained, leading Misty over to an arena....

Can Misty defeat Michael? Stay tuned!


	22. The Heart of the Cards, part 22: Rolling...

Last time, on "Pokemon: The Heart of the Cards"....

While on a walk in the park one morning, Pikachu notices something shiny in the grass...closer inspection reveals the shiny object to be a rare card, making Ash both surprised and elated!

However, Ash is not the only one who wants the rare card...Team Rocket returns and vacuums up all the cards in an attempt to steal all the rare cards...but a strange and clever plan literally blows Team Rocket away, returning the stolen cards to their owners.

Relieved to have his deck back, Michael decides to challenge Misty and see just how good our friends have gotten at playing the Pokemon Trading Card Game!

Can Misty survive the duel? Find out!

The Heart of the Cards, part 22: Rolling Down the River

"Come on over here..." Michael led Misty over to an arena overlooking a pier and made himself comfortable at the Ruby platform. As he shuffled his cards, the scoreboard flashed his deck information: RUBY FLAMING WARRIORS

Okay...I have Staryu and Poliwag... Misty thought as she organized her cards. ...and I can't forget Abra... She was about to lay out her cards on her bench when Ash called to her. "Hey, Misty!" He began to frantically wave a card in the air, desperately trying to get Misty's attention.

"What?" Misty asked, looking up from organizing her deck.

Ash walked up to the platform and handed a Meowth lv. 14 card to Misty. "I already have one of these...so why don't you take this one?"

"Thanks!" Misty replied, taking the card from Ash and placing it on her bench, causing the scoreboard to flash her deck information: SAPPHIRE PSYCHIC RAIN.

"Ready over there?" Michael asked, smiling confidently as the scoreboard displayed his stats: RUBY 3 3 4 48 210

"Almost..." Misty called back as she made some last minute preparations to her bench.

"Take your time, I'll wait." Michael assured his friend and opponent. He turned to one side and leaned against his platform, catching a glimpse of the scoreboard as it flashed Misty's stats: SAPPHIRE 2 3 4 48 190....

"Good luck, Misty!" Ash called as the referee arrived to toss the coin...

"She'll need it..." Brock sighed as he filled in his bracket: TOURNAMENT ROUND 4: MICHAEL VS. MISTY....

---------

"Ruby plays first!" the ref announced to the cheering crowd. "And begin!"

"Seedot, go!" Michael commanded, flipping up his active card. A Seedot spun its way into the arena and sat down, awaiting its orders.

"Go, Meowth!" Misty commanded, smirking wryly as a Meowth scampered into the arena.

"Ruby's turn!"

Michael started by attaching a Grass Energy to Seedot. "Seedot, Surprise Attack!" His command was then interrupted by a whistle.

"Coin toss!" the ref announced. "If heads, Ruby's attack will have no effect!" The coin went up...

Misty swallowed hard as the coin fell back down to earth. "Maya told me that Surprise Attack does major damage...and I don't want to lose the card Ash gave me... She wistfully glanced up at the scoreboard, anxious as to how the coin had landed. Her worried glance soon turned to joy as an O appeared on the scoreboard, signaling that the coin had landed on heads!

"Sapphire's turn!"

"Meowth, Cat Punch!" Misty commanded. The Meowth bounded up to Michael's bench and struck one of the cards, causing Michael's HP to go down by 20.

"Ruby's turn!"

"What the..." Michael looked up at his stats, confused as to which of his Pokemon had been attacked. "Oh well, that's nothing a Potion couldn't fix." he mused as he placed a Potion on the damaged card, boosting his HP back to 210. "Seedot, try again to use Surprise Attack!" he commanded. The coin went up...and landed on tails!

Misty winced as the Seedot flashed a bright light in the Meowth's face, blinding it and causing her HP to drop by 30. "That had to hurt..." She reached for the Potion she had just drawn and placed it in the arena as the ref announced "Sapphire's turn!".

The Meowth rubbed its eyes for a moment, then spotted the small blue bottle in the arena. After consuming the contests, it bounced back in front of the Seedot, awaiting its next order.

"Meowth, Cat Punch!" Misty commanded. The Meowth bounded up to Michael's bench and again struck a card, dropping Michael's HP to 190 again.

"Ruby's turn!"

"Seedot, retreat!" Michael commanded, recalling the Seedot to his bench. "Eevee, your turn!"

"Ev!" the Eevee barked as it romped into the arena.

"Now, use Quick Attack!" Michael commanded, watching confidently as his Eevee, now only a small brown blur, slammed into the Meowth, knocking Misty's HP to 180.

"Sapphire's turn!"

Misty attached a Pluspower to Meowth, then commanded. "Meowth, Cat Punch with Pluspower!" A red aura formed around the Meowth as it bounded up to the Eevee and punched it in the stomach! It fell, defeated.

"Well, aren't you clever?" Michael chuckled as Misty took a prize. He clamly set Seedot back in the arena, then slipped a card on top of one of his benched cards, engulfing it in bright light.

"Ruby's turn!

"Seedot, Surprise Attack!" Michael commanded. motioning to the ref. Another bright flash consumed the room, making Misty's HP go down by 30.

"Sapphire's turn!"

"Meowth, Cat Punch!" Misty commanded as she attached a Water Energy to her waiting Staryu. The Meowth again bounded to Michael's bench and struck a card, dropping Michael's HP down by 20.

"Ruby's turn!

"Seedot, you almost have him!" Michael called, motioning to the ref again. The coin went up...and landed on heads.

"Sapphire's turn!"

Misty attached her other Pluspower to Meowth, then commanded "Come on! Cat Punch with Pluspower!" The Meowth ran to the Seedot and struck it in the head, making Micheal's HP go down by 30.

"Ruby's turn!"

"Seedot, finish off that Meowth with Surprise Attack!" Micheal commanded, watching expectantly as the coin went up...and landed on tails!

Misty gritted her teeth as her Meowth floated out of the area. "So, that's his little game, is it..." she grumbled as she placed Staryu in the arena. "It's payback time..."

"Sapphire's turn!"

"Staryu, Swift attack!" Misty commanded. The Staryu began hurling stars at the Seedot, defeating it.

Michael sighed as he placed his next card in the arena. "So, she has a water Pokemon, too...two can play at this game..." he thought as a Lapras majestically swam into the arena.

"Ruby's turn!"

"Lapras, Water Gun!" Michael commanded. The Lapras sprayed the Staryu full blast, knocking the Staryu backwards...but Misty's HP only went down by 10.

"Sapphire's turn!"

"Staryu, Swift attack!" Misty commanded. Another barrage of stars went flying at the Lapras, dropping Michael's HP by 20.

"Ruby's turn!"

Michael smiled as he overlaid a Blaziken card onto his bench, engulfing the card in light. "If she thinks she's going to win this easily, wait until she sees THIS..." he thought, then turned back to his Lapras. "Lapras! Icy Mist!

"Pras!" The Lapras blew out a blast of white air, causing the crowd to shiver in the sudden cold.

"Accuracy is down!" the ref announced. "Sapphire's turn!"

Misty overlaid her next card, Starmie lv. 30, on top of her Staryu, making a Starmie appear in the arena. "Starmie, Star Freeze!" she commanded.

The Starmie began to fire star shaped snowflakes at the Lapras. The sheer cold proved to be too much for the weakened Lapras to bear, so the mighty Pokemon fell, defeated.

"You think those Pokemon were easy?" Michael called with a grin. "I've saved my best for last!" and with that, he laid Blaziken lv. 50 into the arena.

"Ruby's turn!"

"Blaziken, Blaze Kick!" Michael commanded, attaching a Defender to the hefty bird Pokemon.

"Ken!" the Blaziken cried, delivering a flaming foot into the Starmie's center. The Starmie reared back, dazed from the pain. Misty's HP went down by 20.

"Sapphire's turn!"

"Starmie, Star Freeze!" Misty commanded. However, she was shocked when she found that the star snowflakes were bouncing off a blue shield, leaving the Blaziken unharmed.

"Ruby's turn!"

"Blaziken, Blaze Kick again!" Micheal commanded. The Blaziken delivered another powerful blow into the Starmie, but only managed to do 20 damage.

"Sapphire's turn!"

"Starmie, Star Freeze!" Misty called, smiling as she gave a Super Potion to her Starmie. The Blaziken was unprepared for the shower of stars, which sent it tumbling to the floor.

"Come on, Misty!" Ash cheered from the sidelines.

"You can do it!" Maya agreed. Brock whistled in encouragement.

"Ruby's turn!"

"Blaziken, Blaze Kick!" Although it was heavily weakened, the Blaziken still had enough strength to deliver another kick to the Starmie. Misty's HP went down by 20.

"Sapphire's turn!"

"Go for it, Starmie! Star Freeze!" Misty triumphantly smiled as the Blaziken finally succumbed to the cold stars.

The ref blew her whistle. "Game Set! Sapphire wins!"

"YEAH!!!!" Ash joyfully tossed his cap in the air.

"OH YEAH!!!!" Brock agreed, whistling triumphantly as Michael and Misty stepped down from the platforms and shook hands.

---------

"Wow...you were stronger than I thought you were!" Michael began as the group returned to their room that evening. "I never dreamed I'd one day face someone who would defeat my Blaziken! He's always come through for me before..." he mused.

"Like we've been proving to duelists time and again, dueling isn't about sheer power alone, there's got to be strategy too." Misty explained.

"You know, Misty..." Michael put a shoulder around Misty. "Thank you...you've sure taught me about strategy this afternoon."

"Thanks, I think..." Misty stammered.

"Well, earning the Rainbow Crest now puts us at the halfway point, and from here, things will start getting harder..." Michael cautioned as he turned to leave. "All the same, we'll face these challenges together!" With that, he turned the lights out as he left. "See you in the morning, guys."

What awaits our heroes now? Stay Tuned! 


	23. The Heart of the Cards, part 23: Love is...

_Last time on "Pokemon: The Heart of the Cards"...._

_The group's halfway point challenge comes not from a random duelist, but from a friend! Michael, curious as to how good of a duelist our heroes have become, decides to challenge Misty to find out!_

_But Misty is quick to show Michael that she, Ash, and Brock are getting quite good at the game, good enough to hopefully earn the remaining four Crests and challenge the four Grand Masters!_

_But can they handle the challenges ahead? Find out!_

The Heart of the Cards, part 23: Love is a Song That Never Ends

Ash yawned and sat up in bed. He rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and glanced out the window, where the sunlight was peeking inside. "_Wow...it sure is pretty today..._ he thought as he climbed out of bed and trudged over to the closet and got dressed. _"Maybe Maya will take us somewhere nice for the day..._

"Pika?" Pikachu opened an eye, curious as to why Ash was awake. "Pichupika pika pikachu..."

"Yes, I know Maya hasen't come yet, but the sun's already up...and I am quite hungry..." Ash explained, offering his hand to Pikachu, who willingly climbed aboard.

"Unngh..." Ash turned back to look towards the bedroom, where Misty was beginning to stir. "Morning, Ash..." she yawned.

"Morning..." Ash smiled. "Is Brock awake yet?"

"Nope, still counting Mareeps over there..." Misty smiled. "He's probably waiting for Maya to get here..."

"Well..." Ash mused. "She's usually here by now..." With that, he tiptoed over to Brock's bed and gave him a gentle nudge. "Hey..."

"mrggh...is Maya here yet?" Brock groggily asked as he sat up in bed.

"No, but is it time to get up." Ash assured him.

"Okay..." and Brock climbed out of bed, walked off to the bathroom, and started the shower.

---------

"That's strange...Maya usually comes to wake us up in the morning." Misty began as she poured herself some cereal.

"Maybe she had something she had to do that prevented her from giving us our wake-up call this morning..." Ash suggested.

"Oh no..." Brock interjected. "Usually she'll come wake us up BEFORE she does anything else...you think...she's got a problem or something?"

Ash was surprised. "What makes you think that, Brock?"

"Pika Pichupika pi pikachu?" Pikachu suggested, sniffling to prove his point.

"You're right, Pikachu, Maya could very well be sad about something..." Brock began. "But the question is...what could she be sad about?

"Good point, Brock..." Misty agreed. "She may have lost a loved one...or she may have gotten transferred to another circuit..."

Ash stood from from the table, put his dishes in the sink, and started for the door. "Well, the only way we can find out what's wrong with Maya is to ask Maya herself!" he explained as he grabbed his cap from the hat stand. "So, I'm going to go find her and ask what's bothering her."

"Good luck, then..." Misty called as Ash departed.

---------

"Pika pi Pichupika?" Pikachu asked as he and Ash walked along the street.

"Maya sometimes likes to come out here in the morning, so that's why we're looking here first." Ash explained as the two of them entered the square.

Pikachu then spotted a familiar face on a bench in one of the gardens. "Pichupika!" he called, pointing out Maya in the crowds of people.

"You see her?" Ash replied. "Hey, Maya!" he called as he approached the bench, waving in Maya's direction.

Maya looked up from the notebook she was writing in and saw Ash approaching. "Oh...good morning, Ash..." she smiled, making a place on the bench for Ash to sit down. "What brings you out here this morning?"

"We were worried about you!" Ash explained. "You didn't come wake us up like you usually do...so we were worried that something was wrong."

"I appriciate your concern...and I do have some sort of a problem..." Maya began. "You see...Michael and I have been close friends for a very long time...and I feel like our friendship is turning into love..."

"How sweet..." Ash replied.

"However...although I do love Michael, I don't think he knows I love him..." Maya continued. "So, my problem lies in how to tell Micheal that I love him..."

"So he basically thinks you're still his best friend?" Ash asked.

"Yes...but I want to tell him that I love him a lot more than he thinks I do..." Maya showed Ash the page she had been writing on. "...and since he likes music and my songwriting, I thought I might write him a song that tells him how much I love him."

"Great idea!" Ash replied, glancing at the page. "Let's see here...put yourself in my on over anytime.....looks pretty good!"

"That's only the chorus..." Maya noted as she got up from the bench. "All it needs is some verses and music."

"I think I can help you there..." and Ash lead the way out.

--------

"...and she wants to write a song for Michael that tells him that she loves him." Ash explained to Brock. "Think you can help?"

"So...one love song that needs verses..." Brock explained as he walked over to a desk and got comfortable. "Okay..." he called, beckoning Maya to sit down next to him. "This is the chorus, right?" he asked.

"It is..." Maya replied.

Brock studied what Maya had written and smiled. "This looks great!"

"Thank you..." Maya replied. "It basically is telling Michael that although he's been through heartbreak before, I know how he feels too...so I want to love him and give him a relationship that lasts..."

"All right...so we could make the first verse reinforce that theme..." Brock began writing a few lines.

"Then I could tell him I've suffered heartbreak before as well, so I know how he feels...and I want to love him to make him feel better." Maya suggested.

Okay..." Brock wrote a few more lines. "That takes care of verse 1...now, how about verse 2?

"Well..." Maya thought for a moment. "He's still feeling kinda bad about his last attempt at love...so tell him that before he gives up on love completely, try a relationship with me."

"Perfect!" Brock cried as he scribbled down the lines. "Two verses all you want?"

"Yes..." Maya replied. "If you can, try to get the music ready by tonight...I want to sing it to him as soon as I can!"

"I will." Brock assured Maya as he reached for several sheets of musical staff paper...

----------

"Michael..." Ash began as he escorted Michael into the room that evening. "Maya has something she'd like to say--or should I say--sing to you."

"I hope it's good..." Michael sighed as he sat down before a makeshift stage. "I could use some cheering up after my breakup last week..."

"Oh believe me, you'll like it!" Maya called from the stage. She waited as Brock stepped up to the stage, picked up his guitar, and started to tune up. "We spent all afternoon rehearsing it!" At this, Misty and Ash stepped up to the stage. Ash walked over to stage left, picked up a waiting fiddle, and started to tune up. Misty stood nearby, anxiously shaking a tambourine.

"I can tell this going to be good..." Michael smiled. "Your songs always cheer me up!"

"I had some help this time..." Maya replied, smiling at Brock. "Are we ready?" Brock answered with a confident strum, Ash calmly stroked a note, and Misty shook the tambourine excitedly. "Okay...take it, Brock."

Brock started a catchy melody as Maya sang:

_Well, she broke your heart into a million pieces..._

_And your confidence is scattered on the wind..._

_Your mind is set on never even tryin' love again._

_But, you don't own the only heart that's been broken..._

_Baby, I've been through it all before!_

_And the quickest way around that lonesome feeling..._

_Is a plain and simple straight line to my door!_

_Put yourself in my place! the others joined in with Maya._

_Come on over anytime!_

_Put yourself in my lovin' arms_

_Baby, I could change your mind!_

_Well, I know just where you're coming from..._

_Don't you think you've hurt enough?_

_Honey, put yourself in my place before you give up on love!_

_Now, I'm on the other side of a heartache..._ Maya continued. Ash stood nearby, complimenting Brock's upbeat melody with a calm fiddle countermelody.

_And if I can make it baby, you can too!_

_Maybe you just need a little help now gettin' through._

_So, before you think of throwin' in the towel..._

_Give me a chance to soften your mistake._

_True love is waitin' just inside these four walls..._

_Baby, it ain't never too late!_

_Put yourself in my place! The others chimed in with Maya once again._

_Come on over anytime!_

_Put yourself in my lovin' arms_

_Baby, I could change your mind!_

_Well, I know just where you're coming from..._

_Don't you think you've hurt enough?_

_Honey, put yourself in my place before you give up on love!_

Maya then did a short dance as Brock broke off to solo...causing Michael to clap along with the song.

_Well, I know just where you're coming from..._ Maya continued, kneeling close to Michael, whose sad expression was shifting to a small smile.

_Don't you think you've hurt enough?_

_Honey, put yourself in my place before you give up on love!_

_Put yourself in my place before you give up on love!_ everyone sang, ending the song.

Michael stood up and applauded. "Bravo!"

"Thank you..." Maya smiled and took a bow. Everyone else did the same.

"In fact..." Michael paused to brush away a joyful tear. "Come here!" The others watched as Maya and Michael hugged each other in a loving embrace...

"What lies ahead for the Pokepals? Stay tuned!


	24. The Heart of the Cards, part 24: And Riv...

_Last time, on "Pokemon: The Heart of the Cards"...  
  
As Ash and the others awaken to a new day, they soon discover that Maya has not come to wake them...Ash suspects a problem, and sets out to find Maya.  
  
Maya's problem is romantic in origin: how can she tell Michael, a friend that she has always admired and respected, that she loves him?  
  
However, thanks to Brock and his superb songwriting talents, Maya's swansong strikes a chord with Michael, allowing the relationship to bloom.  
  
Now, our heroes make a brief stopover in the arena, but Ash is about to face his most heartpounding challenge yet!  
  
What is this mysterious challenge? Can Ash triumph? Find out!  
_  
The Heart of the Cards, part 24: And Rival Makes Three...  
  
"Good morning..." Maya called as she walked in the room.  
  
"Morning..." Ash replied as he poured some orange juice for himself and sat down before a steaming platter of bacon, eggs, toast, and fruit. "What's the plan for today?" he asked, pausing to sip his drink.  
  
"Well...you do have a challenge..." Maya began. "from someone named Gary."  
  
"PHHHHHHHBBBBBTTT!!!!" Ash was so surprised by the name of his opponent, he spat out his drink, spraying Misty, Brock, Pikachu, and Togepi in the process. "Gary wants to challenge me AGAIN????" he sputtered as he wiped the giant juice stain off his shirt.  
  
"What I wanna know is...does Gary ever know when to quit?" Misty grumbled as she wiped up the table.  
  
Maya was puzzled. "What's the matter?"  
  
"Gary and I go way back..." Ash explained as he walked over to the closet and put on a clean shirt. "Ever since I've left on my journey to become a Pokemon Master, he always following me with his personal pep squad, taunting me that he can be bigger, stronger, faster, and all out better than me."  
  
"But time and again, you've shown him that the biggest, strongest, and fastest don't always win..." Misty started.  
  
"Well, he apparently must think he's the best, with all the times he's shown up..." Ash grumbled as he grabbed his tin from the table and started for the door.  
  
"What are we waiting for?" Brock cried. "Let's go down to the arena and kick Gary clear into the stratosphere...maybe then he won't bother you for a while."  
  
"Are you sure we have a shoe big enough to kick him that far?" Ash asked quizzically as the group walked down the hall.  
  
"It's only an expression!" Misty grumbled, annoyed.  
  
---------  
  
Gary smirked as Ash and the others entered the arena. _"I bet I can win hands down if I only put down two prizes instead of four, then watch Ash cry when I take'em both!"_ he thought. He snickered to himself, pleased with his plot.  
  
"Got everything?" Misty asked as Ash checked his deck one last time.  
  
"Yeah! I got a few cards from May..." Ash explained as he flashed a few cards before the others. "I'm sure they'll help!"  
  
"Well, good luck." Misty smiled as Ash stepped up to the Sapphire platform.  
  
"Okay!" the ref called, silencing the crowd. "Ruby has requested that both sides select two prizes for the duel instead of four; and the use of only two Pokemon!"  
  
"Huh?" Ash was confused.  
  
"We're gonna duel by speed!" Gary explained. "The fastest one will take both prizes. As as we both know, I am naturally the fastest duelist." He gestured to his stats, RUBY 5 1 2 53 100  
  
"Gary, Gary, run, run, run! Rising higher than the sun!" cheered Gary's cheerleaders.  
  
"Oh yeah?" Ash retorted, turning his cap back as he arranged his cards. "I bet I'm faster than you are!" At this, his stats blipped on the scoreboard: SAPPHIRE 5 1 2 53 90  
  
"Okay then, prove it, Pokedrivel!" Gary sneered, blowing a wisp of hair from his face as the coin went up.  
  
"Sapphire plays first!" the ref called. "And begin!"  
  
"Swablu! I choose you!" Ash announced as a Swablu soared into the arena.  
  
"Go! Growlithe!" Gary called as he flipped up his active card. A Growlithe romped into the arena and barked at the crowd.  
  
"Sapphire's turn!"  
  
"Swablu, sing a Lullaby to the Growlithe!" Ash commanded. The Swablu flew up over the Growlithe and began to sing a calm and relaxing melody, causing the Growlithe to slump to the floor, asleep. Gary's HP went down by 20.  
  
"Ruby's turn!"  
  
"Sure, that was pretty, but listen to this..." Gary taunted as he placed a Pokewhistle card down in his play area, making a small metal instrument half the size of a Pokeflute appear in his play area.  
  
----------  
  
"Pokewhistle? What's that?" Misty asked.  
  
"A Pokewhistle is a small instrument half the size of a Pokeflute, making its range an octave higher." Michael explained.  
  
"In fact, Pokewhistles are what most kids that learn to play the Pokeflute start on before they move to the full sized instrument." Brock added.   
  
"Hmm..." Misty was interested.  
  
"The Pokewhistle card, unlike the Pokeflute, only awakens a Pokemon, nothing more." Michael continued. At that second, Gary began a rousing dance tune, causing the audience to clap along in time to the music.  
  
---------  
  
"Thank you..." Gary acknowledged his applause as his Growlithe slammed into the Swablu, making Ash's HP go down by 20. "How's that?"  
  
"Oh yeah?" and Ash laid down Altaria lv. 45 over the Swablu, making an Altaria appear in its place, and boosting his HP to 140.  
  
"Sapphire's turn!"  
  
"Altaria! Dragon Dance!" Ash commanded.  
  
"Ria-ria-ri-ri-riiiiiiia!" sang the Altaria as it hopped about the arena floor, summoning images of Dragonites flying. A green arrow appeared next to Ash's attack stat.  
  
"Sapphire's attack is up! All Pokemon receive an attack boost for 3 turns!" the ref announced. "Ruby's turn!"  
  
"Growlithe! Body Slam!" Gary commanded. The Growlithe slammed into the Altaria hard enough to send it flying to the floor, dazed.  
  
"Sapphire's turn!"  
  
"Altaria! Dragon Song!" Ash commanded, smiling with pride...  
  
'Alta-alta-ria-ria-alta-riiiiiiiaaaaa!!!!" sang the Altaria, causing various dragon Pokemon to bombard Gary's bench with elemental blasts. The combined force of the attack was so great, it caused Gary's HP to drop to zero!  
  
The others gasped as the ref announced "Game Set! Sapphire wins!" Ash, meanwhile, waved to the crowd as he stepped down from his platform...  
  
---------  
  
"How---how did you manage to defeat me so quickly?" Gary asked, surprised by his loss.  
  
"Simple..." Ash explained. "Dragon Song, when coupled with Dragon Dance, will do 60 damage to all of the opponent's Pokemon."  
  
"So, that's your little secret..." Gary grumbled as he stepped down from the Ruby platform. "But remember, you still have four Crests left to earn, and I've already got five...so I'll ultimately get the Legendary Cards! So, until we meet again...Smell ya later!" and with that, he disappeared into the crowd...  
  
---------  
  
"Way to go, Ash!" Maya smiled as the group walked out into the hallway.  
  
"You sure strutted your stuff and showed Gary that no matter how good he thinks he is, you're actually better than him!" Misty agreed.  
  
"Thanks, you guys..." Ash smiled.  
  
Brock just put a shoulder on Ash. "Hang onto that Altaria...she might come in handy in the rounds ahead!  
  
"You know I will!" Ash smiled, playfully elbowing Brock. The others laughed as they walked out into the sunshine...  
  
What lies ahead for the Pokepals? Stay tuned! 


	25. The Heart of the Cards, part 25: The AMa...

_Last time, on "Pokemon: The Heart of the Cards"...  
  
Ash is once again challenged by Gary, but for the third time around, Gary requests a rule change: cut the prizes and number of useable Pokemon down to two, which is the reqirements for a speed duel!  
  
However, Ash proves to Gary that the strongest is not necessarily the fastest. Miffed by his defeat, Gary leaves in a huff, vowing that he will earn the Legendary Cards...  
  
...or will he? Can the Pokepals gain the remaining four Crests and refute Gary's boastful prophecy? What awaits our heroes today? Find out!  
_  
The Heart of the Cards, part 25: The A-Maze-ing Pikachu  
  
Ash smiled as the group strolled down the sidewalk. "It sure is nice today, isn't it?"  
  
"I'll say..." Brock agreed as he stopped to soak up some of the warm sunshine. "It's rained every day this week! I'm just glad it decided to stop..."  
  
Misty, meanwhile, was cooing to Togepi. "You're such a sweetie, you know that? Are you having fun going bye-bye?" Togepi just chirped in delight.  
  
"I think the Pokemon will like the new exhibit at the museum..." Ash started as Pikachu clambored on top of his head. Before he could say any more, he found himself staring into Pikachu's face! "Well, hello there!"  
  
"Pika pi!" Pikachu replied, struggling to balance himself on the brim of Ash's cap.  
  
"Come here..." and Ash deposited Pikachu on his shoulder. "So...what is this exhibit we're going to see?"  
  
"It's called 'Extreme Mazes: The Perceptions of Memory'" Maya explained. "Basically, it explains how memory works, using the example of going through a maze to illustrate the concepts."  
  
"The best part is a competition!" Michael added. "They have this big, obstacle-filled maze set up, and the Pokemon have to race to the exit at the bottom. Whoever gets there with the best time wins a prize!"  
  
"Sounds fun!" Misty smiled as the group got in line for tickets.  
  
---------  
  
"Wow..." Ash gasped, awed by the various optical illusions scattered about the chamber: double pictures, color illusions, puzzles, light tricks, and various other interactive games. Brock had found a light kaleidoscope, and was hard at work projecting beautiful patterns of red, blue, yellow, green, and purple light on a canvas. Misty was helping Togepi figure out a block puzzle, periodically helping Togepi place each piece.  
  
Maya was staring at a swirly picture, trying to guess the image hidden inside. Michael stood nearby at a 3-D viewer, thinking about to figure out the illusion inside.  
  
But, Pikachu noticed a giant mountain at the end of the hall, where a large crowd was gathering. "Pika pika pi?"  
  
"I think that's the maze Michael was telling us about." Ash replied. "Come on!" and he raced into the open area to get a closer look at the mountain, where clear orbs containing Pokemon thumped and bumped their way to the bottom. There were TV monitors scattered throughout the room, so the audience could see inside the maze.  
  
"What is it?" Misty asked as she and the others settled down at one of the TV monitors.  
  
"Pikachu found the maze..." Ash explained. "and I think he wants to try it." at this, an orb with a Rattata inside rolled into the finish platform at the bottom of the magnificient structure, while a scoreboard projected the maze time: 1:40:25.   
  
"New record!" a referee announced as the Rattata's owner opened the orb, cradled the Rattata, and returned to her chair. The crowd applauded as the next competitor carried the orb with his Sandshrew inside up to the start of the maze.  
  
"Who's that?" Ash asked, pointing at the girl, who was brushing her long black hair as she listened to the roar of the cheering crowd.  
  
"That's Camille, last year's 'Maze Runner' champion." Michael explained. "I've been told that she trains for this one exhibit, and she's either won or placed every time she's competed!"  
  
"Well, I want to try and see how I do in the maze! Come on, Pikachu!" and Ash started towards the competitor's line...  
  
"If you think you're going to beat my record, then all I can say is, good luck, newcomer!" Camille called, smirking confidently as the scoreboard displayed the time: 1:47:56  
  
"Oh yeah?" Ash retorted. "I bet I can get a faster time than you!"  
  
"Tell you what..." Camille purred. "If you can beat my record, even if it's only by a thousandth of a second...I'll give you my favorite souvenir magnet!" At this, she displayed a sparkling rainbow magnet depicting a globe, with the words 'TITIAN MUSEUM OF DISCOVERY' at the top.  
  
"You're on!" and Ash took his place in the line...  
  
---------  
  
"So, you want to enter your Pikachu in the Mt. Maze Time Trials?" and attendant asked as she led Ash into a room filled with the clear orbs and a drawing of the inside of the maze.  
  
"Yeah!" Ash cried, setting Pikachu down on a table. "I've been challenged, and I'm taking it!"  
  
"Good luck breaking Camille's record...her Rattata's quite fast." the attendant cautioned as she grabbed an orb from a cabinet.  
  
"Then, I'm going to prove that Pikachu is faster!" Ash agreed.   
  
"Okay, then, put your Pikachu in here." the attendant replied, opening the orb.  
  
"Pika..." Pikachu sighed as he was closed inside the orb and placed on the floor, where he began rolling around, trying to get used to his new surroundings.  
  
"What are the orbs for?" Ash asked as he watched Pikachu dart and weave around the room in erratic figure 8's.  
  
"They're used for two reasons: speed and the Pokemon's safety." the attendant replied. "The chart on the wall shows you what the maze looks like on the inside."  
  
"I see..." Ash replied as he admired the array of bumpers, loops, speed traps, jumps, pipes and other obstacles...  
  
---------  
  
"You ready?" Ash called as he climbed the stairs leading to the maze's entrance. Pikachu nodded confidently. "Think you can beat Camille?"  
  
"Pika pi!" Pikachu replied, pointing out the group down below, who waved as Ash reached the start platform, where the ref stood waiting.  
  
"New racer at the start!" the ref called to the crowd below as the scoreboard reset to display 0:00:00. "Pokemon ready?"  
  
"Good luck, Pikachu!" Ash called as he set Pikachu on the platform marked START, then stepped on the elevator leading down to the ground, where he ran to join the others...  
  
----------  
  
"Are you sure Pikachu can do this?" Misty asked as one of the monitors changed to display Pikachu eyeing a small door.  
  
"Sure he can!" Ash assured Misty. "He was pretty calm rolling around..."  
  
"Okay!" the ref called. "On your mark...get set..." and a bell sounded, causing the door at the entrance to drop, allowing Pikachu to race inside!  
  
"And, he's off!" Brock commented. "He's maintaining a brisk pace as he goes down the opening slope...now he's going down a pipe, which leads into a section with some sharp turns...."  
  
"Round and round and round he goes, where he stops, nobody knows!" Michael joined in as he watched Pikachu run down a twisting slope, which lead down into another pipe.  
  
"Now he's at an intersection--wonder if he'll pick the fastest route?" Misty asked. No sooner had she said this, Pikachu darted down the left path, which lead into another set of twisting paths that went up, down, and even upside-down! At the end of that path, was a steep slope...  
  
"Here comes a jump!" Brock commented, noting a huge gap coming up on the screen.  
  
"If he hits the bell at the peak of the jump, his time will stop for 10 seconds!" Maya explained. Everyone winced as Pikachu soared into the air, ringing a small bell on the way up...then landed with a plop at the bottom of the landing area, which led down into more sharp turns lined with bumpers.  
  
"Pikachu needs to be cautious here...if he's not careful, the bumpers will send him the wrong way, costing him time!" Brock continued, giving his play-by-play as Pikachu continued on his way.  
  
"He's got the bumpers covered..." Ash assured everyone as Pikachu raced down the next turn, which led him onto a launch pad...  
  
"He's almost there!" Misty cried. "I can see the exit!" The crowd began to cheer as Pikachu was launched into a loop, followed by one last set of zigzag turns before running down the slope that led out of the mountain and onto the FINISH platform.  
  
"Did he break the record?" Maya asked, anxious to hear Pikachu's result.  
  
The ref consulted her time sheet, then looked at the scoreboard, which finally displayed Pikachu's time: 1:30:25! "New record!"  
  
"YES!!!!" Misty cheered. Brock whistled in agreement as Ash ran to retrieve Pikachu from the maze...  
  
---------  
  
"Pikachu, I'm so proud of you!" Ash cooed as the group relaxed in their room that evening.  
  
"Camille acted pretty calm about losing..." Misty mused.  
  
"She told me that Pikachu was a good racer, and that I deserved the magnet she promised me more than she did!" Ash mused, turning to look at Pikachu, who was fast asleep in the Pokemon area...  
  
Maya smiled as she turned to leave. "I'm glad you guys had fun today...but remember, dueling starts early tomorrow, so I'll be here at around 7:30, okay?" With that, she closed the door behind her...  
  
What does the fifth round hold for our heroes? Stay tuned! 


	26. The Heart of the Cards, part 26: Master ...

_Last time, on "Pokemon: The Heart of the Cards"...  
  
Ash and co. decide to take a break from dueling and spend the day at the Titian City Museum of Discovery. While there, they decide to take part in the Mt. Maze trials, hoping to dethrone the current champion, Camille!  
  
But, when Camille challenges Ash to beat her record, Pikachu does more than that, he shaves an entire ten seconds off the time, leaving Ash as the new champion!  
  
Now our heroes return to the arena for the fifth round, and things are beginning to get harder...  
  
Can Ash and the gang win the other four Crests? Find out!  
_  
The Heart of the Cards, part 26: Master of Illusion  
  
The group was just waking up when Maya arrived the next morning. "Morning, guys..."  
  
"Morning..." Ash yawned as he pulled a shirt over his head. "Any challenges for us today?"  
  
Maya rummaged through her papers untill she found a challenge sheet. "Yes...you have received your fifth round challenge. He's waiting for you in the grand hall.  
  
"Who is he?" Ash asked as he sat down before a steaming platter of bacon and eggs.  
  
"Just hurry and eat, Michael will give you the details when you get there." Maya assured Ash as she started towards the door. "I will give you a tip on defeating his deck: he likes to use Psychic types..."  
  
"Remember: Psychic beats other Psychics..." Brock cautioned.  
  
"And Colorless Pokemon are strong against Psychics..." Misty added as she settled in at the table.  
  
Ash smiled as he ate. "I already know my general plan, and if I can use my special Charizard, he'll be no match for me!"...  
  
---------  
  
"Ash, there you are..." Michael started as Ash and the others arrived in the arena. "Your opponent is a guy named Murray...he's a bit of a character, so his Pokemon are an odd bunch...but he loves Psychic Pokemon with a passion!"  
  
"I bet I can beat him!" Ash smiled. "Wish me luck!" With that, he ran towards the Sapphire platform and readied his deck. the scoreboard then blipped to life: SAPPHIRE FLAME OF CONFUSION.  
  
"So, you must be Ash, are you not?" said a voice. Ash turned to look at the boy with short purple hair that was stepping up to the Ruby platform. "I've heard quite a bit about you..." At this, the scoreboard displayed his deck information: RUBY STRANGE PSYSHOCK  
  
"Well, I hope to be a Card Master and inheirit the Legendary Cards!" Ash explained, gesturing to his stats: SAPPHIRE 3 2 4 53 150  
  
"You? A Pokemon Trading Card Game Master? We'll see about that..." Murray smirked as his stats appeared on the scoreboard: RUBY 3 2 4 53 180  
  
"Good luck, Ash!" Maya called as the coin went up...  
  
"Pika pi!" Pikachu agreed.  
  
Brock swallowed hard as Ash called the toss. "Is it just me, or do you guys have a feeling that there may be more to Murray's deck than we think we know?"  
  
"I don't know..." Misty sighed as an O came up on the scoreboard, signifying that Murray had won the toss. "I do think he has some secret, or something he's hiding..."  
  
----------  
  
"Ruby plays first!" the ref announced. "And begin!"  
  
"Mr. Mime, let's go!" Murray called, flipping up his active card. A Mr. Mime hovered into the arena and immediately began the old 'trapped in a box' pantomime routine, causing some in the audience to laugh.  
  
"Charmander, I choose you!" Ash flipped up his active card. A Charmander skittered into the arena and warily eyed the opponent.  
  
"Ruby's turn!"  
  
"Meditate on winning!" Murray commanded. The Mr. Mime focused until it had formed a red ball of energy in its hands, then hurled it at the Charmander, but the Charmander ran out of the way.  
  
"Sapphire's turn!"  
  
"Charmander, Scratch!" Ash commanded as he attached a Fire Energy. The Charmander ran up to the Mr. Mime and tried to scratch it, but it was repeled by a wall. Confused, the Charmander tried to scratch again, but was again blocked.  
  
"Ruby's turn!"  
  
"Well, if your Pokemon aren't going to hold still...I'll just swap them for you!" and Murray set down a Warp Portal card, making the Charmander teleport out of the arena and bringing out a Meowth in its place.  
  
"What the..." Ash was surprised.  
  
"Mr. Mime! Keep Meditating!" Murray wasted no time in attacking. The Mr. Mime formed another red ball at the Meowth and fired, scoring a direct hit! Ash's HP went down by 30.  
  
"Sapphire's turn!"  
  
"What did you do?" Ash demanded. "I was doing just fine with my Charmander!"  
  
"Oh, but remember, Warp Portal will automatically switch out your Pokemon until my Pokemon faints." Murray cautioned. "In fact, the next switch is in three...two...one..." Suudenly, the Meowth teleported out of the arena, brining in Ash's next Pokemon, a Pikachu.  
  
Ash calmly attached a Lightning Energy to Pikachu. "Pikachu! Use Pikabolt!"  
  
"CHUUUUU!!!" The Pikachu unleashed a giant thunderbolt, but it too was blocked by the strange wall. Before long, it too was teleported out of the arena, bringing Ash's Charmander back into the arena.  
  
"Ruby's turn!"  
  
"Mime!" The Mr. Mime was quick to fire another Meditate blast at the Charmander, dropping Ash's HP by 30.  
  
"Sapphire's turn!"  
  
"Charmander, use Ember!" Ash commanded, watching helplessly as his Charmander's attack was again blocked....  
  
---------  
  
"How come Ash can't even make a move against that Pokemon?" Misty asked.  
  
"Well, we know what Murray's strategy is...put the opponent through the proverbial 'revolving door of Pokemon' and defeat them all using Mr. Mime..." Michael mused.  
  
"That's not fair!" Misty cried.   
  
"I know...but we can't just go complain to the refs during a duel." Michael sighed. "We should wait until the duel's over..."  
  
Just then, Maya walked inside the arena and settled in next to Michael. "Hi, sweetie pie..." she purred. "How's Ash doing against Murray?"  
  
"Not so hot..." Michael sighed as Ash's Meowth floated into the discard. "Murray's pummeling him to the point where he can't get a move in edgewise!"  
  
Maya looked out into the arena and gasped as Ash's Pikachu teleported out of the arena. "Wait a minute...I thought Warp Point was illegal!"  
  
"It is?" Brock was interested.  
  
"Warp Point and Mr. Mime are banned from competition..." Maya explained...  
  
"Why? What's so bad about them?" Brock asked as he watched Ash's Charmander fly towards the discard.  
  
"Warp Point rapidly switches out Pokemon before the trainer can do anything to them...giving the card's owner an unfair adventage." Maya explained as she watched Ash add a Bulbsaur to his bench to try and boost his rapidly falling HP. "Mr. Mime is banned because its Invisible Wall power makes it practically invincible!"  
  
"So Murray's been cheating this whole time???" Misty screeched. Maya nodded sadly as the ref cried "Game set! Ruby wins!"...  
  
---------  
  
Ash sat in a corner nearby the arena, sulking over his apparent loss. _"Why? Why did Murray bulldoze me like this...now I'll be sent back to the fourth round..."_ He sighed...but suddenly, he saw Misty and Brock flag down a ref. _"Huh?"_  
  
"Excuse me..." Brock flagged down the ref. "We'd like to contest the duel's outcome..."  
  
"Okay then, what is your reason for your contest?" the ref asked.  
  
"Ruby was using banned cards." Maya explained. "Warp Point and Mr. Mime." The ref nodded, and walked back to the Ruby platform, where Murray stood, gloating over his victory....   
  
Ash watched as the officials confiscated Murray's deck. "So that's why he won against me...he cheated..." He smiled as the ref blew the whistle. "Ruby's victory is declared invalid!" Sapphire wins!" At this, the crowd cheered as Ash strolled towards the ref and took the Soul Crest...  
  
---------  
  
"So Murray was cheating the whole time?" Michael asked, surprised as Maya finished explaining to him the duel's outcome.  
  
"They did an investigation on it and everything...Murray had a lot of banned cards, so they confiscated the deck and told Murray to go build a new deck or remove the banned cards before competing again." Maya concluded. "So Ash shouldn't worry about facing him again."  
  
"Good...I hope he's learned his lesson now..." Ash mused as he relaxed on the couch and looked out the window. "Cheaters never win..."  
  
"...and winners never cheat!" Brock laughed, swiping Ash's cap, mussing Ash's hair, then plopping his cap back on top of Ash's head. Everyone laughed as Ash stormed off to the bathroom to find a comb...  
  
With three Crests remaining, are the Pokepals prepared for the challenges ahead? Stay tuned! 


	27. The Heart of the Cards, part 27: Ash vs ...

_Last time, on "Pokemon: The Heart of the Cards..."  
  
Things begin to heat up for the Pokepals as they advance through the tournament, with Ash facing Murray, a tough Psychic duelist, in the fifth round! Before long, Ash is pummeled before he can even make a move!  
  
But, Murray's deck is not all that it appears...after a brief investigation, the officials discover two cards that are prohibited from competition, giving Ash a Soul Crest!  
  
What awaits our heroes in the rounds ahead? Find out!_  
  
The Heart of the Cards, part 27: Ash vs. Team Rocket  
  
Ash smiled as he cradled a sleeping Pikachu in his arms. _"I can't believe it...we're past halfway in our quest to earn the Legendary Cards..._ he thought as he watched leaves fly about in the wind from the security of the room. _"But... I wonder where we go next on our journey?"_ He was about to ponder this question when he heard the door slam. "Who is it?"  
  
"It's just me..." Michael assured everyone as he made himself comfortable on the couch next to Ash.  
  
"You seem like something's bothering you..." Ash noted. "Something wrong?"  
  
"Well..." Michael stretched for a moment, then continued. "I want to give Maya a little present...something to say 'I love you' with..."  
  
"Oh! Give her a card!" Misty suggested as she tossed a load of laundry in the dryer.  
  
"Better yet, how about flowers...or candy!" Brock called from the kitchen, where he was preparing the group's dinner for the evening. "For some reason, girls have a thing for candy..."  
  
"I appriciate your suggestions..." Michael explained to the group. "but I already have something in mind for the gift."  
  
"What?" Everyone turned to Michael, eager to know what his planned gift was.  
  
"I'm going to get her one of these..." and Michael paused to unfurl an ad depicting a small wind-up Pikachu inside a plastic see-through Poke Ball.  
  
"Aw..." Misty cooed at the picture of the tiny toy.  
  
"How cute..." Brock agreed. "...but what is it?"  
  
"It's called a Mini Pikachu." Michael explained. "They're getting to be quite popular...toy stores have sold out of them right as they get new shipments....but, I don't have any money to get one..."  
  
"I'll get one!" Ash volunteered, leaping up from the couch and nearly scaring Pikachu in the process. With that, he rushed to get ready, throwing on his vest, combing his hair, and grabbing his cap from the hat stand as he raced out the door.  
  
"That was fast..." Misty noted.  
  
"If these Mini Pikachus sell out as fast as they say they do, Ash is going to have to go even faster..." Brock sighed...

---------  
  
Meanwhile, Team Rocket relaxed in their secret base, all the while musing about their next plot. Meowth, however, was seated before the TV, paying no heed to the chores Jessie and James were doing.  
  
After a while, James collapsed on the couch next to Meowth, exhausted. "Anything good on?" he asked.  
  
"Hmm..." Meowth checked the TV listings as the credits to the previous show rolled by on the screen. "Nothin' on any of da major channels..." he replied as he tossed the listings behind a pillow and reached for the remote on the coffee table. "...so let's just see what da other channels have to offer! Whereever we stop, dat's what we'll watch."  
  
James sighed. "I hope we don't land on 'The Joy of Catnip' like we did yesterday..." He watched as Meowth began to cycle through the channels, naming the show or commercial on each one.  
  
"...some action movie, soap commoicial, da news, some toy commoicial, 'Trivia Maze'..." Meowth noted. "Let me know if you see somethin'..."  
  
"Wait Meowth, go back to that toy commercial..." Jessie asked. "I swear I just saw a Pikachu there..."  
  
"Okay..." Meowth flipped back to the commercial and listened as an image of a Mini Pikachu blipped on the screen.  
  
"It's the amazing Mini Pikachu toy!" proclaimed the announcer. "It walks, it talks, it says 'Pika pika!' Each one comes with its own crystal Poke Ball! Collect one, collect them all! Be the first one on your block to own the new Mini Pikachu toy! Hurry, before they're all sold out! Buy one, buy them all..."  
  
_Buy them all...buy them all...buy them all..._ Jessie sighed with delight, apparently dreaming of having all of the tiny toys for herself...  
  
"Oith to Jessie, come in, Jessie..." Meowth chided, waving a paw in front of Jessie's face. "What'cha tinkin' about so hard?"  
  
"Those Mini Pikachus look so cute..." Jessie mused as she got up from the couch. "so if we can't catch the real thing, the toy will do...so come on!" she called, running for the door.  
  
"Hey, wait for us!" James and Meowth were not too far behind.

---------  
"What do you MEAN, sold out?" Jessie demanded.  
  
"Someone got the last Mini Pikachu this morning." the toy store clerk replied. "You'll have to wait until tomorrow." The three Rockets turned and left the toy store, dejected.  
  
"We were too late..." James sighed as he trudged down the street. "I know how bad you want one of those, Jessie, but I guess we'll have to do what the clerk said and wait until tomorrow..."  
  
"Or maybe not..." Meowth smiled.  
  
"Huh?" Jessie and James stared at Meowth, confused.  
  
"I can see da toy factory over there!" Meowth explained, pointing out a large building on the corner, where trucks carrying shipments of toys were coming and going. "If we raid da factory, we can get a Mini Pikachu before everyone else does!"  
  
"Great idea!" and James grabbed a large bag...

---------  
"Pika pi!" Pikachu giggled as he struggled to peek inside the bag Ash was carrying, curious as to what his miniature likeness looked like.  
  
"Sorry, Pikachu, this isn't for you...this is Michael's present for Maya." Ash replied. He was about to say more, until he heard the toy factory's security alarm ringing. "Huh?"  
  
"Pika!" Pikachu watched, shocked, as Team Rocket raced down the street, trailing a large bag stuffed with Mini Pikachus behind them. "Pika pika!" With that, he jumped to the ground, picking up the toys that had fallen out of the bag.  
  
"You're right..." Ash sighed. "Follow those Rockets!" With that, he ran to catch up with the Rockets!

---------  
After a while, Ash and Pikachu arrived in a forested area, just in time to see the Rockets disappear with their cargo inside a tree. Pikachu skittered up to the entrance and banged on the door, desprate for it to open.  
  
"Hey, it's not going to open if you just bang on it." Ash explained, gesturing to the keyhole on the tree trunk. "See, it's locked...so what do we need to get in if something's locked?"  
  
"Pika pi!" Pikachu replied, displaying a picture of a key to Ash.  
  
"Right, you need a key..." Ash replied. "but where would the Rockets hide a key?" With that thought in mind, he crawled behind some rocks, checked underneath the rocks, looked in the grass....but no matter where he looked, he didn't find a key.  
  
Pikachu, meanwhile, decided to climb into the tree to look. He pushed some leaves aside...nothing. Next, he checked a branch with some flowers...the leaf patches turned up empty, but he spotted something shiny inside one of the flowers...the key! "Pikapi! Pika!" he called down to Ash, triumphantly holding the key as proof.  
  
"You found it?" Okay...bring it down here!" Ash called, smiling proudly as Pikachu climbed down the tree and gave the key to him. "Now...the Rockets probably have some traps in here, so we have to be careful..." he cautioned as he turned the key, allowing the tree trunk to open....

---------  
"Hello...anyone here?" Ash called as he walked along the empty corridors of the secret base.  
  
"Pi?" Pikachu, meanwhile, discovered something flashing in the darkness. "Pika pikachu?"  
  
Ash ran to catch up to Pikachu, and knelt down to study a strange flashing blue switch. "Well, see that blue mist and those red platforms up ahead?" he asked, gesturing to some blue misty areas and a series of red girders blocking the path. "Maybe the switches control those! So, lets push it!" With that, he stomped down hard on the switch, causing the blue misty areas to become solid and the red girders to turn misty.  
  
"Pika pi!" Pikachu smiled.  
  
"Follow me!" With that, Ash ran to a blue ladder and climbed up, with Pikachu not too close behind. They ran across a blue path for a while, until they came to a misty red area...that led to a omnious drop below. Just then, Ash noticed another flashing switch in the darkness, only this one was red. "Pikachu! Jump on this switch!"  
  
"Pika!" Pikachu jumped on top of the switch, causing the red areas to turn solid again.  
  
"Good work!" Ash smiled as Pikachu ran to him again. "You see that?" he asked, pointing out a swirling rainbow aura at the top of a high ledge. "That's a teleporter. Maya says that's how Rockets get to different parts of their bases."  
  
"Pi pika pika chu, Pikapi?" Pikachu asked, glancing up to the high ledge, while at the same time looking for something that would carry them upward.  
  
"Simple, we'll use this spring over here!" Ash replied, running up to a solitary spring on their ledge. "Ready?" Pikachu nodded. "And one...two...THREE!" With that, the two went sailing to the top ledge and into the teleporter.

---------  
"Whew...wasn't that fun?" Ash smiled as he and Pikachu arrived in the next room of the base.  
  
"Pika..." Pikachu was still a little shaken from the sudden flight. Just then, he heard Pokemon noises coming from the path ahead. "Pi?"  
  
Ash looked a little further down the path and noticd some Ekans patrolling nearby a ladder. "Oh boy...how are we going to pass these guys?"  
  
"Chu..." Pikachu replied as he struggled to hold a trash can over his head. "CHU!" The Ekans had no time to react to the falling trash can....  
  
"Great shot!" Ash smiled as he grabbed a large stick, slid it inside his pocket, and climbed up the ladder. He waited as Pikachu climbed up, then both disappeared into the teleporter...

---------  
"Guys! One of da twerps and Pikachu followed us here!" Meowth cried, gesturing to the security monitors, which depicted Ash and Pikachu climbing up the green ladders in the next room.  
  
James winced as the Ash on the screen began to clobber an unsuspecting Koffing with a hammer. "That has to hurt..."  
  
"What are we gonna do if dey get dis far, to our room?" Meowth asked, apparently worried.  
  
"You could always use the barrels in the storage area, Meowth..." Jessie giggled as she wound up another Mini Pikachu, adding it to the myriad of Mini Pikachus walking about the floor chattering "Pika Pika!"  
  
"Great idea!" and Meowth hurried to the storage room...

---------  
"Almost there..." Ash assured a tired Pikachu as they trudged through another room. "After we figure out this door's code, we'll be in the main room of the base!" With that, he punched the code 9285 into the keypad...which allowed the door to open!  
  
"Pika!" Pikachu led the way in.  
  
"Yeah, now we can get the Mini Pikachus back!" Ash smiled as he reached for the large bag with the toys inside...  
  
"Not so fast!" Ash gasped as the lights came up in the dim room, revealing Meowth sitting at the top of a set of girders. "If you want da toys back, you'll have to get past me foist!"  
  
"You're on!" Ash readied his stick for battle.  
  
"If you can knock me off dis top platform without falling yourself, we'll give da toys back...got dat?" Meowth replied.  
  
"Bring it on!" and Ash started to climb up the red girders, determined to send Meowth falling to the ground below.  
  
"Have a nice trip!" and Meowth pressed a red switch, causing the floor to give way from under Ash! Ash, meanwhile, swung himself up to a blue platform...  
  
"Pika!" Pikachu hurled a blue trash can up to the top girder, causing Meowth to teeter towards the edge.  
  
"Cover for me, Pikachu!" Ash called as he continued to climb up.  
  
"See ya next fall!" and Meowth caused the blue floor to give way, sending Ash falling to the yellow floor!  
  
"CHU!" Pikachu hurled a brick at Meowth, hitting him again!  
  
"Mankey see, Mankey do!" Meowth taunted, pulling a nearby rope. He snickered as both Ash and Pikachu scrambled to dodge the falling tires, nails, bricks, and other junk...but he didn't see the tire flying at him from below! He now teetered dangerously close to the edge...  
  
"Pikachu! Get the toys while I deal with Meowth!" Ash called as he hoisted himself to the top girder.  
  
"Pika pi!" and Pikachu hurried off...  
  
Ash, meanwhile, blocked the angry Meowth's claws with his stick. Next, he shoved Meowth backwards by hitting him in the stomach. Meowth tried again to scratch Ash, but only succeeded in nicking his leg. Ash winced as the pain rippled out from his wound, but he tried to stay aloof to Meowth's scratching and biting...until ultimately, he jabbed Meowth in the back, sending him falling to the ground....  
  
"Chu?" Pikachu asked, charging up a Thunderbolt.  
  
"We're gone!" Ash slid down a pole, grabbed the bag full of Mini Pikachu toys, and jumped down the emergency escape shaft, just in time to hear the Rockets cry "We're blasting off AGAAAAIN!!!!!" ping

---------  
"Maya..." Michael smiled as he and the others walked into Maya's room, where Maya was filling out papers. "I've got something for you..."  
  
"A gift...for me?" Maya was surprised. "What is it?"  
  
"Open it and see..." Michael smiled, offering the gift wrapped box to Maya. "Ash went to a lot of trouble to get this for me..."  
  
Maya took the box and tore it open...gasping at the contents inside. "Awww! You got me a Mini Pikachu! Thank you! Thank you!...." She hugged Michael, tears streaming down her face in delight and joy.  
  
"And..." Ash offered several more wrapped boxes to the others...  
  
"You got us one too?" Misty was surprised as she opened her gift, revealing a Mini Pikachu inside. Togepi stood nearby, playing with the ribbons and wrapping paper.  
  
"Thanks!" Brock smiled as he set his Mini Pikachu aside and gathered up the trash. "What did you do to get all these?"  
  
"It's a long story..." Ash sighed, tired from his adventure. Pikachu hopped up on the couch and stretched out on Ash's lap.  
  
Meanwhile, Maya calmed down enough to address the group. "Okay, thank you again for the gift...and I have news for you all..."  
  
"A challenge?" Ash asked.  
  
"Yes...another Triple Challenge...and this time the prize is Rayquaza lv. 50." Maya explained. "It starts early in the morning, okay?"  
  
"Okay..." Ash yawned as he fell asleep on the couch.  
  
Will Ash earn another rare card? Stay tuned!


	28. The Heart of the Cards, part 28: Third T...

_Last time, on "Pokemon, The Heart of the Cards...  
  
The hottest new toy to hit Titian City is the Mini Pikachu! Piqued by the toy's popularity, Michael asks Ash to get one of them for Maya.  
  
But, Team Rocket also wants in on the craze...yet the toys are all sold out by the time they get to the toy store! Then, Meowth gets an idea: Why not raid the toy factory and steal the Mini Pikachus? So one scuffle, one giant mess, one giant bag, and several zillion Mini Pikachus later, Team Rocket makes off with their cargo...  
  
However, Ash and Pikachu see the whole thing and give chase, ultimately clashing with the Rockets themselves. After braving the many traps of the base, Ash gets the Mini Pikachus back, just in time to watch Maya receive hers.  
  
Now, Ash and co step back into the arena and prepare to win another rare card!  
  
Can Ash add Rayquaza lv. 50 into his collection? Find out!_  
  
The Heart of the Cards, Part 28: Third Time's a Charm  
  
"Good morning..." Maya called as Ash and the others arrived in the grand hall, where a large crowd had already gathered around an arena. Several smaller crowds also dotted the hall, watching duels unfold. Some people were building decks, and others were buying cards from the card shop. "Ready for your second Triple Challenge?"  
  
"You bet!" Ash replied as he ran up to the Sapphire platform, which caused the scoreboard to display his deck: SAPPHIRE FLAME OF CONFUSION  
  
Just then, the ref motioned to Ash. "Ruby has requested the use of a premade deck. Is that okay?"  
  
"Okay!" Ash pocketed his own tin and took the rose tin wth a picture of Latios on it from the ref. _"Latios...I still remember how he sacrificed himself to protect Latias, his sister..._ he thought, brushing away a tear as he organized his premade deck. The scoreboard changed the deck information to read SAPPHIRE LATIOS' THUNDER  
  
"What's the matter?" a brown haired girl asked as she stepped up to the Ruby platform and organized her deck. "Does that Pokemon remind you of someone special?" At this, the scoreboard displayed her deck information: RUBY LATIAS' FIRE   
  
"Well..." Ash started to nervously organize his cards. "I have traveled to Alto Mare before, and something happened there involving Latios and Latias...that I don't--" and he choked up, trying his hardest not to cry over the painful memory of Latios dying.  
  
"Oh...I see..." the girl replied. "I've been learning about Alto Mare in school...there were rumors that one of the Lati twins had died when someone tried to take their sacred talisman, the Soul Dew."  
  
"I know...I was there..." Ash replied, drying his watery eyes and regaining his composure as his stats appeared on the scoreboard. SAPPHIRE 2 4 4 53 260  
  
"Diana, enough talk for now..." the ref on the Ruby side told the girl. "Organize your cards, please."  
  
"Oh, I'm sorry..." Diana blushed. "I got carried away in my discussion and forgot to get ready!" With that, she readied her deck for a moment, then placed her active card as her stats appeared on the scoreboard RUBY 2 4 4 53 250.  
  
"Okay, are both sides ready?" the ref asked. Diana and Ash nodded.

---------  
"I wonder why Ash nearly cried when he saw Latios?" Maya was curious.  
  
"While we were on Alto Mare trying to protect the Soul Dew from a pair of thieves, Latios sacrificed himself to protect it and his sister Latias...and Ash watched Latios die." Brock explained. "That memory still haunts him, so he'll break down anytime he even sees a picture of Latios..."  
  
"Aww..." Maya's eyes began to well up with tears. "That must have been a hard thing to see..."  
  
"He cried about it for several days afterward." Misty continued as she watched the coin go up. "Fourtunately, the power of the Soul Dew ressurrected Latios...yet Ash still remembers when Latios died to save him..."

---------  
"Sapphire plays first!" the ref announced. "And begin!"  
  
"Let's go, Pikachu!" Ash cried, flipping up his active card, Pikachu lv. 20. A Pikachu ran in the arena, anticipating the battle's start  
  
"It's showtime, Torchic!" Diana watched as a Torchic flitted into the arena and fluffed its feathers anxiously, eager to fight.  
  
"Sapphire's turn!"  
  
Ash started by attaching a Lightning Energy to Pikachu, then commanded "Pikachu, Scratch the Torchic!" The Pikachu ran up to the Torchic and scratched it in the leg, making Diana's HP go down by 10.  
  
"Ruby's turn!"  
  
Diana calmly attached a Fire Energy to her Torchic, then commanded "Torchic! Firebreathing!"  
  
The ref's whistle startled the two competitors. "Coin toss! If heads, Ruby's attack will do extra damage!" The coin went up....and landed on tails. The Torchic, meanwhile, blew a rain of fireballs at the Pikachu, making Ash's HP go down by 20.  
  
"Sapphire's turn!"  
  
Ash drew his next card and gasped at what it was: a Double Colorless Energy! _"Wow! I didn't know this pre-made deck had one of these in it!"_ he thought as he quickly attached it to his Pikachu. "Pikachu! Pika Bolt!" he commanded.  
  
"CHUUUU!!!" the Pikachu cried as it unleashed a giant thunderbolt that caught the Torchic offguard! It fell to the floor with a plop, defeated....

---------  
"Great shot!" Misty commented as she watched Ash select one of his four prizes.  
  
"Let's just be glad that Diana didn't use her Combusken card..." Maya began, reaching for her Pokegear.  
  
"Huh?" Everyone stared at Maya, confused.  
  
"Observe..." and Maya brought up the Combusken card that Diana was using on the Pokegear screen. "While Flare is a decent fire attack, the thing Ash would have had to worry about was Combusken's Double Kick. When used, two coin tosses are called for; the attack's total damage is 40 times the number of heads...which means that it could theoretically knock out a Charizard in one blow!"  
  
"Really?" Misty was impressed. "That's pretty powerful!" Brock whistled in agreement, also impressed. "But...doesn't Ash have a Torchic in his usual deck?"  
  
"I think so...I'll check later." Brock assured Misty as he turned his attention back to the arena and watched Diana place Skitty lv. 15 in the arena. "If he does, I'll be looking through the booster pack he gets and see if there's a Combusken card in there..."

---------  
"Ruby's turn!"  
  
"Wow! You're pretty good!" Diana commented as she attached a Fire Energy to her Skitty. She then commanded "Skitty, Tackle attack!" The Skitty barreled into the Pikachu, causing it to stumble backwards. Ash's HP went down by 10.  
  
"Sapphire's turn!"  
  
"Pikachu, Pika Bolt!" Ash commanded. The crowd shielded their eyes from the flashing light as another thunderbolt went flying, dramatically weakening the Skitty! Diana's HP went down by 40.  
  
"Ruby's turn!"  
  
Diana smiled. "You must have a knack for Pikachus...but can it handle my Delcatty?" she asked as she overlaid a Delcatty lv. 35 on top of her Skitty, making a Delcatty appear in the arena.  
  
'Bring it on!" Ash cried, turning his cap backwards in response to his opponent's challenge.  
  
"All right...Delcatty, scratch the Pikachu!" Ash watched in surprise as the Delcatty strutted up to his Pikachu and scratched it across the chest, defeating it! He gritted his teeth as Diana took one of her prizes. _So, that's her little game, is it? Well, she's sure going to be in for a little surprise..._  
  
"Sapphire's turn!"  
  
"Magnemite, I choose you!" Ash commanded, watching a Magnemite hover into the arena. "Rollout attack!" The Delcatty watched in horror as the Magnemite summoned a large rock and slammed it to the floor, where it began rolling at the Delcatty. The crowd winced in horror as a SPLAT! filled the air...  
  
"Ouch..." Brock commented as he watched the Delcatty try to stand up, only to fall to the floor again.  
  
"That had to hurt..." Misty agreed.  
  
"Ruby is paralyzed!" the ref announced. "Ruby's turn!"  
  
Diana just calmly attached a Fire Energy to her next Pokemon, ending her turn.  
  
'Sapphire's turn!"  
  
Ash quickly attached a Pluspower to his Megnemite, then braced himself as the Magnemite hurled another rock at the Delcatty, this time causing Diana's HP to go down by 30. The Delcatty collapsed on the floor with a plop, defeated.  
  
"Okay..." Diana grabbed her next card off of her bench. "Let's try...Numel!" She smiled confidently as a Numel sauntered into the arena.  
  
"Ruby's turn!"  
  
"Numel, Firebreathing!" The Numel blew a blast of fire at the Magnemite, dazing it and causing Ash's HP to go down by 20.  
  
"Sapphire's turn!"  
  
"Oh, but remember, Rock is great against Fire!" Ash cautioned, flashing a thumbs up to Brock as the Magnemite hurled another rock at the Numel, defeating it on the spot!  
  
"Ruby's turn!"  
  
"All right! Finally, let me show you....Bagon!" and Diana placed Bagon lv. 22 in the arena. "Bagon, Headbutt!" The Bagon leapt in the air and bashed the Magnemite, causing Ash's HP to drop by 10.  
  
"Sapphire's turn!"  
  
"One more time, Magnemite!" Ash commanded, watching as a rock rolled on top of the Bagon....  
  
Just then, the ref called "Game Set! Sapphire wins!" The crowd cheered as Ash and Diana stepped down from the platforms and shook hands.

---------  
"That was nice of Diana to give you both Lati cards..." Misty mused as the group relaxed in their room that evening.  
  
"She told me that she had just graduated from the Junior Card Leagues, and was wanting to try out the Triple Challenge to get a taste of the big tournaments." Ash explained. "On top of that, she has an interest in Alto Mare, Latios, and Latias...so I told her about our adventure there...she was impressed."  
  
"I'll bet..." Brock laughed. "I hope she'll become a card master herself one day...she looked pretty calm about losing..." He was about to say more when he heard the door slam. 'Who's there?"  
  
"It's just me...: Michael assured the group as he got comfortable on the couch next to Brock. "Had to work the Junior League orientation today, so I missed Ash's first duel in the Challenge..."  
  
"Ash dueled one of your best pupils, Diana." Maya explained. "Remember her?"  
  
Michael thought for a moment, trying to remember the name. "Oh! Wasn't she the one with all the Latios and Latias stuff?"  
  
"That's her!" Ash smiled. "She told me to tell you hello!"  
  
"At any rate, congrats on getting one step closer to a rare card, Ash." Maya smiled.  
  
Who will Ash's next opponent be in the Challenge? Stay tuned!


	29. The Heart of the Cards, part 29: Fightin...

_Last time, on "Pokemon: The Heart of the Cards"...  
  
A second Triple Challenge is underway! This time, our heroes are vying for Rayquaza lv. 50, one of the most powerful cards known on the TCG circuit.  
  
Ash's first duel is against Diana, a perky young duelist that has just entered the big leagues...and she also has a fascination with Latios, Latias, and Alto Mare. Some of the memories nearly rduce Ash to tears, but he shakes off the saddening thoughts and wins the duel!  
  
Can Ash kep his winning streak alive? Find out!_  
  
The Heart of the Cards, part 29: Fighting with White  
  
_"Charizard, Flame Pillar!" Ash commanded, smiling with pride as his Charizard blew out a blast of hot fire at the Ruby side, engulfing the opponent in a column of flame. The crowd cheered as the ref blew her whistle and announced "Game Set! Sapphire wins the Legendary Cards!"  
  
"YEAH!" The others stood nearby, clapping and celebrating as Ash stepped down from the platform and shook hands with his opponent.  
  
"Well done!" Maya ran and gave Ash a giant hug. "I knew you could do it, Ash....Ash...Ash...."_  
  
"Hey..." Misty nudged Ash again. "You awake?"  
  
"Yeah..." Ash yawned and trudged over to the closet, where he began sorting through the clothes for a clean shirt.  
  
"Have a "winning the Legendary Cards" dream again?" Misty smiled as she uncovered Togepi and began to clean him.  
  
"I did, but this one was different...the last one only showed me stepping down after I clinched the win, but this time, I was using my special Charizard to deliver the final blow." Ash explained as he reached for his tin and began thumbing through the cards, stopping to admire his holo Charizard...  
  
"Who knows? Maybe it's predicting the future!" Brock suggested as he entered the kitchen and stuck two pieces of bread in the toaster. "Could you see your opponent?"  
  
"Nope...just a black area on the Ruby platform..." Ash mused....until he noticed something was amiss: his Psychic cards were missing; only to be replaced with Fighting type cards. "Uh guys, have you seen my Psychic cards anywhere?"  
  
"I put them by your bed and gave you some of my best Fighting cards in return; Maya says you'll need them today..." Brock assured Ash.  
  
"Why?" Ash was confused. "I'd be sunk without Mewtwo and Kadabra!"  
  
"Mewtwo and Kadabra wouldn't be able to do much damage against your opponent today..." Maya explained as she walked in the room and got comfortable at the table."because she likes to duel with Colorless Pokemon."  
  
"And Psychic is not very effective against Colorless..." Brock cautioned. "That's why I donated some of my best Fighting cards..."  
  
"Oh, I see!" Ash smiled as he closed up his tin, pocketed it, grabbed his cap from the hat stand, and started towards the door. "You want me to have the best advantage as possible!"  
  
"Exactly..." Brock smiled. "I gave you Geodude, Machop, and Hitmonchan to help you....  
  
"Thanks!" Ash chuckled as he led the others into the grand hall...  
  
The ref was waiting for the group when the group arrived. "Does the challenger need time to prepare?"  
  
"No thanks! I'm ready!" Ash called to the ref as he stepped up to the Sapphire platform and began organizing his cards. The scoreboard blipped to life and displayed Ash's deck information: SAPPHIRE FLAME OF CONFUSION  
  
"So this is the famous Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town..." a girl with flowing blonde hair purred as she stepped up to the Ruby platform. "I've heard a lot about your amazing adventures..." At this, the scoreboard flashed her deck information: RUBY SHINING WHITE  
  
"Uh..." Ash was surprised about his beautiful opponent's remark. "I'm--uh--honored!" he stammered as his stats appeared on the scoreboard: SAPPHIRE 4 2 4 53 170  
  
"She's so beautiful..." Brock mused, smiling over Ash's opponent. He was about to get up from his place at the sidelines and talk to the girl--until he felt a jerk at his collar that pulled him back into his seat!  
  
"Oh no, you don't..." Misty growled as she led Brock back to his seat. "Behave yourself!"  
  
"I don't blame him for drooling..." Michael sighed. "Fiona's one of the prettiest beauties of Titan City--no, in all of Kanto, maybe!" At this, Fiona's stats appeared on the scoreboard: RUBY 3 3 4 53 180.  
  
"Well, let's hope Ash doesn't go all goo-goo eyes like Lover Boy here..." Misty sighed, gesturing to a drooling Brock...  
  
"Ruby plays first!" the referee announced. "And begin!"  
  
"Pidgey, take flight!" Fiona commanded, watching as a Pidgey flitted into the arena.  
  
"Pikachu, I choose you!" Ash called, flipping up his active card and watching as a Pikachu skittered into the arena, warily eyeing the Pidgey.  
  
"Ruby's turn!"  
  
"Pidgey, peck the Pikachu!" Fiona commanded. The Pidgey flew up and pecked the Pikachu in the stomach, making Ash's HP go down by 10.  
  
"Sapphire's turn!"  
  
"Pikachu, Scratch!" Ash commanded. He watched as his Pikachu ran up and scratched the Pidgey hard, leaving a red mark on its left wing. Fiona's HP went down by 20.  
  
"Ruby's turn!"  
  
Fiona smirked as she overlaid her next card, Pidgeotto lv. 26, in the arena, making a Pidgeotto take the Pidgey's place. "Pidgeotto! Whirlwind!"  
  
"Pidjoooo!!!" cried the Pidgeotto as it flapped up a tornado inside the arena, blowing the Pikachu away and dragging out a Charmander in its place. Ash's HP went down by 20.  
  
"Sapphire's turn!"  
  
Ash attached a Fighting Energy to his waiting Hitmonchan, then overlaid Charmeleon lv. 32 on top of his Charmander. "Mankey see, Mankey do!" he called to Fiona, pleased with himself. "Charmeleon, Slash attack!" he commanded, watching as the Charmeleon slashed the Pidgeotto in the face...surprisingly defeating it!  
  
"Critical hit!" the ref announced as Ash grabbed one of his prizes. "Ruby's turn!"  
  
"And you thought Pidgeotto was easy...." Fiona purred. "Say hello to Clefairy...and her Shining Fingers!"  
  
"Shining what????" Ash was confused. But he watched as the Clefairy's fingertips began to glow an eerie green...making his Charmeleon's eyes flutter, then close.  
  
"Shining Fingers puts your Active Pokemon to sleep." Fiona explained...  
  
"Sapphire's sleep check!" the ref announced, tossing a coin.  
  
"Tails..." Fiona called the toss  
  
"It's heads." the ref explained. The Charmeleon groggily rubbed its eyes and yawned, waiting for Ash's next order. "Sapphire's turn!"  
  
Ash's eyes brightened when he discovered his holo Charizard was his next draw. _Now to see what this guy can do..._ he smiled as he overlaid the card over his Charmeleon. The Charizard flexed its wings a little, then roared with triumph!  
  
"Ruby's turn!"  
  
"Oh my..." Fiona gasped when she saw the firey dragon staring down her Clefairy. "Drastic times call for drastic measures..." she mused as she recalled Clefairy. "So, let me introduce...Dratini!" At this, a Dratini swam into the room, unafraid of the monstrosity towering over it. "Dragon Smash!"  
  
The Dratini surged foward and rammed the Charizard in the stomach, making Ash's HP drop by 40.  
  
"Sapphire's turn!"  
  
"Charizard, Collect Fire!" Ash commanded, watching as his Charizard blew out several embers, some of which damaged the Clefairy, and some of which turned into Fire Energy cards.  
  
"Ruby's turn!"  
  
Fiona swallowed hard, knowing none of her Pokemon stood a chance against Ash's Charizard. "I defer to Sapphire...he is much too strong for my deck.' she told the ref.  
  
"All concedes defeat." The two opponents stepped down from the platforms and shook hands.  
  
"I never knew you were so strong...I must work hard to build a better deck." Fiona mused.  
  
"It's okay..." Ash assured her. "Just keep trying until you find some strong colorless Pokemon!"  
  
"I think I will...Farewell, for now." and Fiona disappeared into the crowd.  
  
"That Charizard doesn't scare me!" called a voice.  
  
"What the...?" Michael gasped as some lights came up on the Ruby platform, where Gary stood, ruffling his cards.  
  
Ash quickly grabbed all the Fighting cards out of his deck and hurried over to the sidelines, where Brock was waiting with Ash's Psychic cards. "Here! I do want to keep Hitmonchan, though..."  
  
"Okay then..." Brock smiled. "Mow Gary down with Charizard!"  
  
"I think my Blastoise will be doing the mowing down..." Gary smirked as the deck information appeared on the scoreboard: RUBY CHAMPION GARY SAPPHIRE FLAME OF CONFUSION...  
  
Can Ash defeat Gary and claim a rare card? Stay tuned!


	30. The Heart of the Cards, part 30: Reunion...

_Last time, on "Pokemon: The Heart of the Cards"...  
  
Ash and his friends are aiming high in their second Triple Challenge, with Ash challenging Fiona, a Colorless beauty, for his second win...but before Ash can get comfortable and enjoy the thrill of victory, Gary returns yet again to challenge Ash, this time to see who is worthy of adding Rayquaza lv. 50 into their collection...  
  
Can Ash fend Gary off for a fourth time? Find out!_  
  
The Heart of the Cards, part 30: Reunion with a Rival  
  
Ash sighed as he arranged his cards. "Gary...why must you insist on following my every move and triumph I make?"  
  
"Because..." Gary smirked as his stats appeared on the scoreboard: RUBY 4 2 4 53 150 "Rayquaza would be a great addition to my arsenal of Legendaries! Besides, I only have one Crest left before I can face the 4 Grand Masters!"  
  
"Well, we see who's truly worthy of wielding Rayquaza in battle!" Ash retorted as his stats appeared on the scoreboard. SAPPHIRE 2 4 4 53 230.  
  
"All right then, let's see you try and make a scratch on my new Ghost Pokemon!" Gary smirked as the coin went up....

---------  
"Maya? May I see what is so important about the Rayquaza card?" Misty asked.  
  
"All right, let me bring up the card database here..." and Maya typed a few commanded into her Pokenavi. She waited as the card's picture loaded, then began. "This is Rayquaza lv. 50." she began, gesturing to the picture of the shiny card depicting Rayquaza flying in the sky.  
  
"Ooh..." Misty was impressed. "It's a holo card too!" She then nudged Brock in the shoulder. "Hey, take a look at this!"  
  
"Huh?" Brock looked up from penciling in the matchup of Sableye vs. Charmander long enough to look at the picture. "That's a pretty card...I'll bet it has some nice moves to boot."  
  
"It does, all right..." Maya smiled as she turned her attention back to the duel...  
  
[CENTER---------[/CENTER]  
  
"Sapphire plays first!" announced the ref. "And begin!  
  
"Charmander, Flare attack!" Ash commanded. He watched as the Charmander hurled a fireball at the Sableye, causing it to wince in pain. Gary's HP went down by 10.  
  
"Ruby's turn!"  
  
"Sableye, Dark Bind!" Gary commanded. The Sableye formed a wave of black energy in its hands, then hurled it at the unsuspecting Charmander, making Ash's HP go down by 20.  
  
"Sapphire's turn!  
  
Ash placed a Potion on his Charmander, followed by a newly drawn Pluspower. "Charmander, Flare with Pluspower!" he commanded. The Charmander's fireball gained a reddish glow as it struck the Sableye, causing Gary's HP to go down by 20.  
  
"Ruby's turn!"  
  
"Sableye, retreat!" and Gary recalled his Sableye. "Let me introduce...Duskull!" At this, a Duskull floated into the room, frightening some of the crowd, including Ash. "Scared, aren't you?"  
  
Ash tensely turned his cap back, all the while remaining aware of the frightening presence of the Duskull in the room. "Y-you may think you're so high and mighty w-with your ghosts, b-but they don't scare me!"  
  
Gary just snickered, apparently enjoying watching Ash quiver with fear over his Duskull. "Oh yeah? You'll definitely be scared when Duskull comes to Haunt you!" The Duskull swooped down into the Charmander's face, causing it to yelp in fear and surprise.   
  
"Sapphire's turn!"  
  
Ash shakily reached for his bench and overlaid Kadabra lv. 38 on top of his waiting Abra, engulfing the card in bright light. _"Come on...it's okay...Gary should be no match for Kadabra..."_ he thought...

---------  
"Is everyone okay?" Maya asked as she struggled to regain her composure.  
  
"I think so..." Misty replied as she watched Ash recall his Charmander for a Pikachu. "Gary's ghosts scared me good! But Brock's watched plenty of scary movies before, so I don't think he was scared..."  
  
"For your information, I've seen much scarier stuff than a little Duskull..." Brock smiled. "And not all of it was on the silver screen either!"  
  
"Like?" Maya was interested.  
  
"Oh, Ash getting turned to stone, a darkness Groudon, an Unown dream world..." Brock continued, naming off some of the group's scarier encounters. "So just be thankful that Gary didn't summon a worse Pokemon..."  
  
"Or even summon a Dusclops..." Maya cautioned. "They can knock out a Pokemon in on hit, thanks to their Judgement attack!"  
  
"Now THAT'S scary..." Misty shivered as she turned her attention back to the arena...

---------  
"Sapphire, make your move..." the ref called.  
  
"Well?" Gary smirked, anticipating Ash's next move.  
  
Ash swallowed hard and yelped "Pikachu! Use Pikabolt!" The Pikachu hurled a huge thunderbolt at the Duskull, causing it to fade into a card with a poof, ultimately appearing in Gary's discard. The crowd cheered as Ash grabbed a prize: Pokewhistle.  
  
"Ruby's turn!"  
  
Gary gritted his teeth as he summoned a Haunter in the arena, boosting his HP to 80. "Say goodnight, Ash!" The Haunter's eyes began to swirl in a strange pattern and chant a hypnosis spell. The Pikachu's eyes began swirling in the same pattern, then fluttered, then closed as it slumped to the arena floor, asleep.  
  
"Sapphire's turn!" the ref announced.  
  
"Goodnight, Ash!" Ash taunted Gary, causing some people to laugh at the joke. Gary, meanwhile, just blew a strand of hair from his face, unamused by Ash's smart remark. Ash meanwhile, picked up the Pokewhistle and played a soothing melody...waking up his Pikachu, which promptly delivered a Pikabolt in the Haunter's face!  
  
"Ruby's turn!"  
  
"Don't try to be funny with me!" Gary snapped. "That card's going to be mine, and you know it!"  
  
"Try all you like, but you did forget something important..." and Ash recalled his Pikachu for Kadabra.  
  
"Like what?" Gary asked. "That my Pokemon are stronger than yours?"  
  
"Nope..." Ash smiled wryly.  
  
"Umm...that..." Gary tried again to think of an answer to Ash's taunt. "That...."  
  
"How about if I just show you?" Ash smiled, motioning to his Kadabra. "Kadabra, Super Psy!" The Kadabra formed a blue ball of energy in its hands and fired it at the Haunter, defeating it!  
  
"Ruby has one Pokemon remaining!" the ref announced....

---------  
"Come on, Ash!" Misty cheered from the sidelines as Ash selected another prize.  
  
"He's almost got him!" Brock agreed. "One more Super Psy and Gary's down for the count!" The others watched as Gary's Sableye returned into the arena.  
  
"I hope Gary knows that Psychics are weak to other Psychics now..." Maya agreed as she watched the Sableye try to use Dark Bind on the Kadabra, but the Kadabra ran out of the way.  
  
"Here it comes!" Everyone watched as the Kadabra fired another energy blast at the Sableye, defeating it!  
  
"Game Set!" called the ref. "Sapphire wins!"  
  
[CENTER----------[/CENTER]  
  
"Well done, Ash!" Maya called as Ash ran to the sidelines to greet the others. "That was some quick thinking on your part!"  
  
"Thanks!" Ash smiled, pleased with himself.  
  
"Come here, you..." and Brock embraced Ash in a joyful hug. "Let's go claim your prize..." With that, the group walked up towards the winner's podium, where they saw Gary slink away into the crowd, defeated.  
  
"Ash..." the referee began. "You've improved a lot since your last Challenge, and you and your friends are doing very well in the tournament. We wish you the best of luck in claiming the Legendary Cards!" The crowd cheered in agreement.  
  
"Well, I've learned a lot during my time competing..." Ash began...  
  
"Then take Rayquaza lv. 50...I'm sure he'll help you in the finals." the ref smiled as she presented the card to Ash...  
  
[CENTER----------[/CENTER]  
  
"All right!" Michael cried as the group returned to the room for the evening. "You've earned another rare card!"  
  
"I know..." Ash smiled as he slipped the card in his deck tin, then collapsed on the couch and flicked on the TV, where highlights of his duel with Gary flashed across the screen  
  
"You know, you may have to face Gary in the finals..." Brock cautioned. "Even then, when you face him that time...he's not going to hold anything back..." He let that hang for a moment, making the room fall eeriely silent...  
  
Will Brock's prediction come true? What will the Pokepals face in the semifinals? Stay tuned


	31. The Heart of the Cards, part 31: Opening...

_Last time on "Pokemon: The Heart of the Cards"...  
  
Gary has returned to challenge Ash again, only this time he's prepared with what he thinks is a foolproof plan: battle Ash's Pokemon with a spooky array of Ghost Pokemon. In fact, his lineup does more than scare the Pokemon, it even scares the audience!  
  
But Ash sees through Gary's ghostly ploy, and defeats him again to claim the rare Rayquaza lv. 50!  
  
Now, Ash and co. decide to take a moment and enjoy their hard fought victory!  
  
What awaits our heroes today? Find out!_  
  
The Heart of the Cards, part 31: Opening Night Jitters  
  
"Good morning, you guys..." Maya called as she and Michael entered the room, where Ash was playing with Pikachu, Misty was reading Togepi a story, and Brock was just finishing up preparing the morning meal: biscuits.  
  
"Morning..." Ash called. "What brings you both here to wake us? Is there a challenge?"  
  
"No, this is different..." Michael began as he sat down at the table. "Maya and I are in charge of planning this year's Summer Dream Festival....a two week long event filled with shows, exhibits, crafts, and other events..."  
  
"Our dillema..." Maya continued as she too sat down at the table next to Michael. "is that the act that was going to perform in tonight's opening show had a conflict, so they can't play...so now we don't have any show to open the festival with! Many people look foward to the Summer Dream Festival every year, and we can't have it without an opening show!"  
  
"I'll do it!" Brock laughed. "I could tell my best jokes and sing my best songs...all while strumming on guitar..." he mused as he set a platter piled high with fresh biscuits on the table.  
  
"The only problem is...do you have enough material to last for a whole evening?" Misty asked.  
  
"Let's see, how long is this show supposed to theoretically last?" Brock asked. "I could open with some jokes and stories from our travels, then sing a little--both solo and accompanied by guitar, then invite the audience to sing with me, then do some solo guitar playing..."  
  
"...and you'd still be an hour short." Misty sighed. "I know you have a huge repetoire of songs, but do you think the audience would get bored after hearing you sing for hours?"  
  
"So? If I got bored with the guitar, I could switch to the fiddle!" Brock protested.  
  
"NOOOO!!!!" the others begged.  
  
"We've heard you play..." Maya sighed.  
  
"Why don't we all put on a variety show?" Ash suggested. Everyone glanced at Ash, eager to know more. "See, Brock could tell his jokes and sing, I could play my Pokeflute and dance....  
  
"I'd dance, too!" Misty joined in. "Plus, I could tell a few jokes..."  
  
"Yeah!" Michael cried. "We could get other people involved!"  
  
"That's great!" Maya laughed. "I'll put an ad in the paper--auditions for Summer Dream Festival; inquire at the Titian Arts Center..."

---------  
"So...how did the auditions go?" Misty asked as Michael and Brock collapsed on the couch, exhausted.  
  
"Tiring..." Michael groaned.  
  
"We did have a few interesting acts, though..." Brock assured Misty. "The day started with a kids' choir...they sang this really pretty song--which put Michael to sleep..."  
  
"Then after that, we had a few more singers..." Michael continued. "Including this one girl who sang an original song called 'Isn't It Wonderful?'"  
  
"She did really well..." Brock commented.  
  
"Next came a girl with a group of Treecko acrobats...they were amazing!" Michael smiled. "All in all, we had so many great acts, it's going to be hard to choose which ones will perform..."

---------  
_A few days later..._  
  
"Here we are, guys!" Maya announced as the group walked inside the backstage area of the Titian Arts Center. "This is the backstage area..."  
  
"Wow..." The others were impressed by the array of dressing rooms, props, and other items scattered throughout the area...  
  
"We get to wear these???" Ash cried, holding up a sparkling purple jacket and a golden gown with a red and green layer underneath.  
  
"Aren't I gorgeous?" Misty smiled, modeling a blue gown and feather boa. Ash snickered knowing he had probably been outdone...or Brock was about to come up with the craziest outfit in the world...  
  
"How do I look?" Brock laughed as he modeled a brown trench coat and a fedora hat.  
  
"Like a detective..." Maya mused. "but I think what we really need to be doing is rehearsing and setting up, not trying on costumes..."  
  
"And if you DO need to try on costumes, only try on the ones you think you'll wear in the show..." Michael chided. With that, the group set to work checking lights, cleaning the backstage area, shepherding the other performers inside, and testing the sound...

---------  
"Okay..." Brock sighed as he finished setting up the last wire mike, then pressing the button on his own mike. "Testing, testing, one, two...can you hear me okay up there, Michael?"  
  
"Loud and clear!" Michael called back from the sound booth. "All the mikes are on, and functioning!  
  
"Great!" Brock smiled as he triggered the video screen. "Next on the agenda...screen test!" At this, the image of Brock on the stage appeared on the screen...only in an oddly colored and twisted form.  
  
"How is it down there?" Michael called from the sound and video booth.  
  
Brock looked up at his red-green-orange-yellow-blue likeness on the screen and winced. "Whoa...did I just walk onto another planet or something? Everything looks all weird and fuzzy, like a horror movie...I can see it now...'The Gym Leader That Wouldn't Die'" At this, Michael played a thunder sound effect, followed by a scream.  
  
"Well, at least the sound effects are working..." Ash laughed as he walked onstage, only to look up at his wildly colored self on the screen and gasp "What the..."  
  
"Technical difficulty..." Michael assured everyone as he adjusted the video settings...until the colors began to disappear and return to normal. "There..."  
  
"Perfect!" Ash flashed a thumbs up at Michael, then returned backstage.  
  
"How's this for an emcee's outfit?" Maya asked, modeling a pinstripe shirt and small hat...but before Brock could answer, a great crash came from backstage followed by choruses of 'Gotta catch'em all, gotta catch'em all, yeah!', and running feet.  
  
"What happened?" Michael called.  
  
"Kylee's here with her Treeckos...and they're getting into--yipe!--everything!" Misty called from backstage as she struggled to catch a pile of costumes that were tumbling to the floor. No sooner had she gotten the costumes back on the shelf, a Treecko pushed them off, back onto Misty!  
  
"Ooooh..." Misty grumbled as she threw off the costumes and joined Ash and Kylee in chasing the mischevious Treeckos. "Come back here!"  
  
"Gotta catch'em all, gotta catch'em all, yeah!" the Treecko called back.  
  
"Gotta catch'em all, gotta catch'em all, yeah!" chorused the other Treeckos as they skittered about the backstage area.  
  
Ash sighed. "Remind me not to rehearse the PokeRap in front of Pokemon that mimic..."

---------  
_Several hours later..._  
  
"Nervous?" Ash asked Maya as he led her out towards the auditorium entrance, where a standing room only crowd had gathered.  
  
"Yeah..." Maya replied. "You go on and direct the audience inside, I'll be getting ready..."  
  
"Okay..." and Ash stepped outside and addressed the crowd. "Hi, everyone! It's good to see all of you here tonight...before we get started, there are a few things for you to be aware of: First..." Just then, an odd beeping noise resonated through the crowd, causing some to stare...  
  
"Sorry..." a boy stammered as he struggled to turn his cell phone off.  
  
"Anyway...if you have a cell phone or pager, please turn them off or put them on vibrate, please." Ash began. He waited as some people in the crowd began shuffling around in their bag and purses for their cell phones, followed by bleeps and bloops of power being turned off. "Next, if you have babies or small children, please take them outside if they start to get fussy...and finally, when we open up, please try and enter the theater in an orderly fashion." At this, the auditorium doors swung open, and the crowd rushed inside--nearly trampling Ash in the process.  
  
"Ready?" Misty smiled as she escorted Ash backstage.  
  
"Ow..." was Ash's only reply...

---------  
The crowd cheered as a steady drum beat began playing over the speakers, and a troupe of dancers an a wide array of colorful costumes appeared, swaying and swirling with the music...  
  
_Ee-ay-ah-ei..._ the girls sang.  
  
_Hunnn..._ the boys continued, making a drone for the girls.  
  
_Ee-ay-ah-ei..._ the girls continued, stepping to one side to reveal a stairway...where Maya appeared in a spotlight. The dancers gave Maya a flourish as she jogged to the stage front, waving to the crowd.  
  
"Thank you, and welcome to the Summer Dream Festival!" Maya began. "We have a great show planned for you tonight, one filled with music, dancing, drama, and some of our own local talent! But without your help, we wouldn't be able to do this...so again, I thank you and hope you'll enjoy the show!"  
  
_Ee-ay-ah-ei..._ the girl dancers continued as Maya walked toward stage left, where she reappeared after a few moments.  
  
"Now...I'd like to introduce a few friends of mine..." Maya began, as the girl dancers began a new chant: _Pata Pata, Pata Pata..._ "First is the undisputed queen of Water Pokemon, Misty!"  
  
_Pata Pata, Pata Pata..._ the boys joined in.  
  
_Come on everybody, let's all sing 'Pata Pata', oh-ooh-ooh-oh..._ the girls sang, with the boys still singing _Pata Pata, Pata Pata..._ in the background...  
  
"Hi!" Misty called to the crowd as she ran onstage. "It's great to see you all here tonight! Are you enjoying this song?" The crowd cheered. "Okay! Now it's you guys' turn to sing with us! Your part is easy, just keep singing 'Pata Pata', okay? Let's try it!" She waited as the music began again, then joined in the boys' chant of "_Pata Pata, Pata Pata...Pata Pata, Pata Pata...Pata Pata, Pata Pata..._ Now you guys try it!"  
  
_Pata Pata, Pata Pata..._ chanted the audience. _Pata Pata, Pata Pata..._  
  
_Come on everybody, let's all sing 'Pata Pata', oh-ooh-ooh-oh..._ the dancers continued to sing over the chant of _Pata Pata, Pata Pata..._ They applauded as Misty left the stage, causing the spotlight to appear on Maya again.  
  
"All right!" Maya called. "Next is the rockin' master of Rock Pokemon...here's Brock!" The audience applauded as the music suddenly turned tropical...and the dancers began singing _Más que nada, más más que nada...._  
  
"_Samba..._ some dancers chorused.  
  
_Más que nada, más más que nada...._ sang the other dancers as they gestured to the stairway again, which now had a set of a beach behind it...  
  
"Hello out there!" Brock called to the audience as he descended the stairway. "Don't you just LOVE this island beat?"   
  
"YEAH!!!" cheered the audience.  
  
"I do too...makes me just wanna dance along with the dancers!" Brock laughed, twirling a little to illustrate his point. "In fact...sing with me now! Just repeat after me..." and he joined in the chant of _Más que nada, más más que nada, más que nada, más más que nada..._  
  
_Samba..._ some dancers sang.  
  
"Help me here!" Brock announced before continuing his chant of _más que nada, más más que nada..._  
  
_Más que nada, más más que nada..._ the audience joined in. _Más que nada, más más que nada...más que nada, más más que nada....más que nada, más más que nada...._  
  
"I can't hear you..." Brock replied to the audience in a sing song voice, causing the audience to half-scream _más que nada, más más que nada..._ The audience continued the chant as Brock slipped offstage, making Maya reappear in her spotlight.  
  
"Yeah!" Maya called as the music changed to another tropical beat. "Finally, one of my greatest pupils, multi-instrumentalist, dancer extrordinaire, and budding Pokemon Master...give it up for the one and only Ash!"  
  
_Iko...iko..._ chanted the dancers as Ash jogged onstage to the cheers of the crowd. _Iko, iko...iko!_  
  
_Iko...iko...iko, iko...iko!_ the boy dancers began.  
  
_Iko...iko...iko, iko...iko!_ the girl dancers echoed.  
  
"Hey, guys!" Ash called to the crowd. "Enjoying yourselves so far?" Cheers erupted from the audience. "Great! Now, it's my turn to give you guys a chant...it goes 'iko iko'. I'll do it a few times to get you started..."  
  
_Iko...iko...iko, iko...iko!_ the dancers chanted.  
  
_Iko...iko...iko, iko...iko!_ Ash joined in with the dancers. _Iko...iko...iko, iko...iko! Iko...iko...iko, iko...iko!_...now it's your turn!  
  
_Iko...iko...iko, iko...iko!_ chanted the audience yet again. _Iko...iko...iko, iko...iko!_....  
  
_Iko...iko...iko, iko...iko! Iko...iko...iko, iko...iko! Iko...iko...iko, iko...iko!_ Ash chanted a few times before he too slipped offstage, allowing the dancers to dance solo...

---------  
The crowd cheered as Ash, Misty and Brock returned to the stage. "All right!" Everybody clap your hands!" Misty commanded as a rock beat began playing over the speakers.  
  
"We just wanna see just how well you know your Pokemon..." Brock smiled. "so pay attention! Here we go...." and the music picked up as he danced offstage.  
  
_I want to be the best there ever was.  
To beat all the rest, yeah that's my cause..._ Misty sang as she danced across the stage.  
  
"Electrode, Diglett, Nidoran, Mankey, Venusaur, Rattata, Fearow, Pidgey, Seaking, Jolteon, Dragonite, Gastly, Ponyta, Vaporeon, Poliwrath, Butterfree..." Ash chanted, each Pokemon he named flashing on the screen behind him and the dancers.  
  
_Catch 'em, catch 'em, gotta catch 'em all...Pokémon!_ sang some dancers.  
  
_I'll search across the land, look far and wide,  
release from my hand the power that's inside..._ Misty continued, holding a Poke Ball in the air to prove her point.  
  
Ash began listing more Pokemon: "Venomoth, Poliwag, Nidorino, Golduck, Ivysaur, Grimer, Victreebel, Moltres, Nidoking, Farfetch'd, Abra, Jigglypuff, Kingler, Rhyhorn, Clefable, Wigglytuff..."  
  
"Gotta catch'em all, gotta catch'em all, yeah!" called the dancers.  
  
"Gotta catch'em all, gotta catch'em all, yeah!" the Treeckos echoed as they skittered on the stage.  
  
"Huh?" Misty was confused. "It's not even time for the Tumble Treeckos yet!"  
  
"Yeah!" Ash grumbled, annoyed that his PokeRap had been spoiled. "Go on, Treeckos, shoo!" he called, leading the Treeckos backstage.  
  
"Gotta catch'em all, gotta catch'em all, yeah!" the Treeckos chanted, paying no heed to Ash's call as they romped about the stage. The dancers stopped and watched, agape, as Ash tried to shoo the Treeckos backstage.  
  
"Okay guys...let's calm down..." Brock called as he came onstage, piqued by the commotion. However, he was ignored as the music to the PokeRap kept playing over the speakers, complete with pictures of Pokemon flashing on the screen in the places where Ash was supposed to be rapping. "Hello...I said calm down..." he tried again, this time a little more stern. The dancers took their leave from the stage, leaving only Ash and Misty to chase the Treeckos.  
"Can you tell the sound operator to turn the music off?" Misty begged. "I don't think we're going to get the PokeRap done..."  
  
"Hey!" Brock called up to the sound booth. "I...want....QUIET!!!!!" At this, the music turned off, the Treeckos hurried offstage, and Ash came to a screeching halt in his tracks, wondering if Brock was going to yell at him.

"Well?" Ash asked, returning to his place next to Brock.  
  
Brock smiled, apparently enjoying the total silence in the auditorium. "Thank you...now, to make up for being so rudely interrupted...how would you like to hear some solo talent?" The audience cheered with excitement. "Okay...just to be a bit more specific...how would you like to hear a Pokeflute solo?" Even louder cheers came from the audience as Ash slipped offstage for a moment, then returned carrying his Pokeflute. "This little number is an original composition of Ash's entitled 'Rolling Thunder, Rising Hero'...enjoy." With that, Brock left the stage, and the lights dimmed, save for a single spotlight on Ash.  
  
Ash nervously sighed, lifted his instrument to his lips, and began a soft and haunting melody...  
  
_Oh...ei-ah-un-da-o..._ some vocals echoed back.  
  
Ash repeated the same melody, only this time with a few flourishes and trills.  
  
_Oh...ei-ah-un-da-o..._ replied the vocals. Ash took that as a sign to continue, so he continued his song, with the vocals softly singing behind him as a backup: _Oh...ei-ah-un-da-o, o-do-do, ei-ah-un-da-o...hai...ei-ah-un-da-o....o-do-do, hai di di do, oh-ooh-oh..._  
  
"Wow..." Misty whispered as she choked back tears. "I never knew the Pokeflute could sound this beautiful..."  
  
"Yeah..." Maya agreed as she brushed away tears...  
  
When Ash had finished, the entire auditorium had fallen completely silent, save for the sniffling of people fighting back tears. _Wow...I never knew they liked my flute so much..._ he thought...He was about to return to his place on the stage until applause begin to drift through the auditorium; softly at first, then gradually getting louder until the noise was the deafening roar of a standing ovation.  
  
"Great!" Maya smailed as she applauded.  
  
Just then, the audience began to chant "Encore! Encore!..."

---------  
"Whew...what a night..." Brock sighed as he trudged in the kitchen the next morning.  
  
"Weren't Kylee and her Treeckos amazing?" Michael smiled to Maya. "I mean; they did a pyramid, and awesome flips..."  
  
"They were, but Ash and his Pokeflute were probably the highlight of my evening." Maya smiled as she got some toast for herself and settled in at the table. "You know guys...I can't express how much I owe you for saving the Summer Dream Festival..."  
  
"The pleasure's all ours!" Brock laughed. Everyone else laughed as well as they continued to enjoy their breakfast...  
  
What lies ahead for the Pokepals? Stay tuned!


	32. The Heart of the Cards, part 32: Puttin'...

_Last time, on "Pokemon: The Heart of the Cards"....  
  
The Summer Dream Festival has come to town, and people are already excited about the wide array of shows, exhibits, games and contests that come with it...but Maya and Michael have a desprate problem: How are they going to start the festivities with no band playing for the opening show?  
  
Ash and his friends volunteer to help, and manage to put on a show stopping evening of music, laughter, and fun, making a memorable night for all involved!  
  
What awaits our heroes today? Find out!_  
  
The Heart of the Cards, part 32: Puttin' On the Ritz  
  
"...and they all lived happily ever after...the end." Brock concluded as he looked up from a storybook. "Okay, now it's Togepi's turn to pick the story..."  
  
"Togi-di!" Togepi begged, pointing out a particular story in the contents.  
  
"That one? All right..." and Brock flipped to a different page, this one depicting the interior of a cottage. "Once upon a time..." he started, until he was interrupted by the door slamming. "Yes?"  
  
"Hate to interrupt your storytime, but may I ask you guys a favor?" Michael asked as he made himself comfortable on the couch.  
  
"We're listening..." Ash was interested.  
  
Michael paused for a moment to stretch, then continued. "You see, the anniversary of when I first met Maya is coming up soon...but I don't know what to do for something romantic...the movies are boring, there's no concerts going on, and I don't have the funds for a nice dinner..."  
  
"Aww...so what are you going to do?" Misty asked, curious.  
  
"For now, it'll just be me and her on the waterfront..." Michael sighed, dejected.  
  
"Pipika....pika chu pi Pichupika..." Pikachu started.  
  
"I know, Pikachu, you want to do something nice..." Brock assured Pikachu. "but I don't see what we could do..."  
  
"We'll think of something, won't we, Ash?" Misty giggled as she turned to look at Ash, who was engrossed in looking through his deck tin.  
  
Ash dropped his cards, dumbfounded. "What do you mean, WE???" he stammered. "YOU'RE the one with all the great ideas!"  
  
"Okay, Genius, you think of something!" Misty retorted.  
  
Togepi, meanwhile, longingly looked at Brock, eager to hear more of his story. "Togi di?" he begged.  
  
"More story? Let's just ignore these two..." Brock smiled as he grabbed the storybook from the coffee table, completely oblivious to the unfolding argument coming from the other corner of the living room. "Once upon a time, in a faraway land..."

---------  
"So YOU want to make a nice dinner for Maya and Michael?" Misty asked as she cleared off the table. "We only have four hours before they come out to the waterfront..."  
  
"I'm pretty sure we can do this!" Brock smiled as he set a package of spaghetti noodles, tomatoes, various cheeses and spices, and other items on the table. "Besides, this is also our little thank you for them both supporting us in the tournament!"  
  
Ash playfully elbowed Misty. "NOW who's the genius?" Misty just sighed as she began cutting up tomatoes and putting them in the food processor. Togepi stood nearby, curious as to what the different buttons did. He selected one and pressed it...  
  
"Hey wait, Togepi, not YEEEEETTTT!!!" Misty screeched as the food processor whirred to life, splattering tomatoes everywhere. Togepi just laughed with delight as Misty grabbed a towel and began wiping up tomato stains from the table, her clothing, and the table...

----------  
"There...this is something you can do to help us out, okay?" Misty cooed to Togepi as she finished putting on a clean shirt and grabbing a head of lettuce from the counter. "What I want you to do is tear the lettuce into little pieces, like this..." and she tore off some lettuce leaves, setting them in a large bowl.  
  
"Pika pi!" Pikachu offered, grabbing a second head of lettuce and tearing it into manageable pieces. Togepi followed suit, until the bowl was nearly full.  
  
"You guys are doing great with the salad..." Ash commented as he set down some bottles of dressing next to the salad bowl. "...and that bread sure smells good over there..."  
  
"Thanks..." Brock smiled as he set the steaming loaf of bread on the counter. "One of my best recipes..."  
  
"I bet it's as good as it smells." Misty smiled as she savored the aroma coming from nearby. "Not to mention the Pokemon are making a great salad...besides, I thought it'd be something they wouldn't make a mess with!" No sooner had she said that, did a **SPLAT!** come from the table...  
  
"File that in 'Stupid things Misty has said'..." Brock joked as he grabbed a paper towel and began dabbing at the giant puddle of dressing gracing the floor.  
  
"Right up there with 'Who wants the last cookie?'" Ash agreed as he ran to get some fresh dressing.  
  
"You stay out of this..." Misty growled as she grabbed the mop from the pantry...

----------  
"Okay...Tablecloth..." Ash called as he spread a white tablecloth over a small table overlooking the waterfront. "Silverware..."  
  
"Got them!" Misty called as she set two places at the table.  
  
"Candles..." Ash read the next item from his checklist.  
  
"Check..." Brock called as he lit a red candle at the center of the table.  
  
"Flowers..." Ash read...  
  
"Pika pi chu!" Pikachu replied, sticking a bouquet of flowers in a small vase.  
  
"Entertainment..." Misty mused.  
  
"I'll do it!" Brock cried, startling Misty before she could say any more. He then began belting out in a sappy crooner voice _Fresh bread and butter, roast fettucini, ravioli, clams with linguini, hot pepperoni, tasty spumoni..._  
  
"Uh, Brock..." Misty started...  
  
_"VEAL PARMIGIANA!!! VEAL PAAAAAR-MI-GIANA!!!!!_ Brock continued with his flat and off key aria, paying no heed to Misty. Pikachu and Togepi covered their ears, appalled by the singing.  
  
Ash sighed. "Now we know Brock wasn't meant to be an opera singer..."  
  
"Actually, weren't you supposed to do the entertainment?" Misty asked.  
  
"Yeah..." Ash agreed as he returned to the room. "You and Brock can get Maya and Michael started on the first course while I get ready..."

---------  
"Here we are, Maya..." Micheal began as he lead Maya onto a dock. "This is gonna be an evening just for the two of us..."  
  
Maya just laughed and put an arm around Michael. "Well, although it's not as good as a dinner or a movie, you at least know how to make me happy...and I like you for that..."  
  
"Speaking of dinner..." Michael turned around, and noticed a table decorated with flowers and a candle sitting on an open spot on the pier, where Misty and Brock stood waiting. "Come on and sit down, we'll provide the nice dinner!" Misty begged.  
  
"Wow..." Michael gasped as he sat down. "What a surprise!"  
  
"Thank you so much!" Maya agreed as she sat down. "Did you guys..."  
  
"We spent all afternoon making this for you..." Brock smiled as he poured drinks. "and it's our little token of thanks for you guys supporting us in the tournament. Now..." and he paused to grab two plates of the salad from a serving rack and set them before Maya and Michael. "Enjoy your meal...."

---------  
"Whew..." Michael sighed as he pushed his plate of spaghetti away. "I'm full..."  
  
"Me too..." Maya agreed. "Now all we need is some soft music and a love song...."  
  
"Of course..." and Misty set down a tape deck and pressed 'PLAY', making a soft violin melody go drifiting into the air. Ash appeared in a spotlight, decked out in a sparkling red jacket, white shirt, and black pants. Maya smiled as Ash began singing....  
  
_Whenever sang my songs  
On the stage, on my own  
Whenever said my words  
Wishing they would be heard  
I saw you smiling at me  
Was it real or just my fantasy?  
You'd always be there in the corner  
Of this tiny little bar....  
  
My last night here for you  
Same old songs, just once more  
My last night here with you?  
Maybe yes, maybe no  
I kind of liked it your way  
How you shyly placed your eyes on me  
Did you ever know  
That I had mine on you?..._  
  
"This song..." Maya gasped. "Wasn't this the same song that played when you first took me out on a date?"  
  
"Sure is." Michael smiled. "In fact, every time I've heard this song, I think of you...  
  
"You do?" Maya was surprised. "I do the same for you! Isn't that amazing?" The two friends embraced as they listened to Ash sing....  
  
_Darling, so there you are  
With that look on your face  
As if you're never hurt  
As if you're never down  
Shall I be the one for you  
Who pinches you softly but sure  
If frown is shown then  
I will know that you are no dreamer  
  
So let me come to you  
Close as I want to be  
Close enough for me  
To feel your heart beating fast  
And stay there as I whisper  
How I love your peaceful eyes on me  
Did you ever know  
That I had mine on you?...._  
  
"You know, Maya..." Michael started. You and I have known each other for a long time...but I guess this is the first time I've had to publicly show my love for you...so, let me just--" and he struggled to hold back tears.  
  
"Don't cry, Michael..." Maya purred as she gently stroked Michael's hair. "I know you love me...now here's how I'll say 'I love you' to you..." and she carefully planted a kiss on Michael's left cheek.  
  
Surprised, and comforted...Michael embraced his friend and beloved, both intimately kissing as Ash sang....  
  
_Darling, so share with me  
Your love if you have enough  
Your tears if you're holding back  
Or pain if that's what it is  
How can I let you know  
I'm more than the dress and the voice  
Just reach me out then  
You will know that you're not dreaming  
  
Darling, so there you are  
With that look on your face  
As if you're never hurt  
As if you're never down  
Shall I be the one for you  
Who pinches you softly but sure  
If frown is shown then I will know  
that you are no dreamer..._  
  
"Pika chu..." Pikachu led the others out, leaving Maya and Michael to kiss against a background of the full moon and the twinkling lights of the city...  
  
What awaits the Pokepals in the days ahead? Stay tuned!


	33. The Heart of the Cards, part 33: The Sou...

_Last time, on "Pokemon: The Heart of the Cards"....  
  
For several months now, Maya and Michael have been maintaining a loving relationship, and it has grown very close...but when the first anniversary arrives, Michael is unsure about what to do to commemorate the occasion--or even whether or not Maya will like what he chooses.  
  
Thankfully, the Pokepals come to the rescue by giving the two lovers a romantic dinner and a song, both of which neither will forget.  
  
Now, the Pokepals return to the arena, where they are about to meet their strangest opponent yet.  
  
Who is this opponent? Will the Pokepals be able to defeat her? Find out!_  
  
The Heart of the Cards, part 33: The Sound of Silence  
  
Ash stretched his arms as he led the way into the grand hall. "Goodness...I never dreamed that all these people would be here!"  
  
"Things are beginning to heat up in the tournament, so more people are turning out to watch the duels." Maya explained. "Besides, don't you guys have 3 crests remaining?"  
  
"Oh, we do!" Misty giggled. "I knew that!" Her giggling was cut short when she noticed a young girl clad in a beautiful red, black, and purple robe silently observing a duel in progress in a nearby arena. Every so often, she would applaud a good move or smile at passersby, but for the most part, her cold, silent eyes remained fixed on the unfolding duel, silently observing the two opponents.  
  
"Who's she?" Ash wondered, noticing Misty's interest in the mysterious girl. "I've never seen her around here before."  
  
"Well..." Maya thought for a moment about how to explain the mysterious figure, then continued. "No one really knows her name or where she came from...people say that her parents were killed in a terrible accident a long time ago; and because of that and her tremendous psychic power, she remains silent. For a while, she wandered from town to town, seeking out a place for her own...but a few weeks ago, she settled down here."  
  
"Has she ever spoken to anyone?" Now Brock's interest was piqued. "Is there any way to get her to speak?"  
  
"As far as I know...she will only speak if she feels you are capable of great things." Maya replied. "But, her psychic powers enable her to speak through thought."  
  
"Cool!" Misty was impressed.  
  
Just then, Ash noticed the girl walking in their direction. "I think she wants to 'talk' to us!"  
  
_You have guessed correctly, Ash Ketchum._ came a reply that echoed in Ash's head.  
  
"Huh?" Ash was confused. "Did you guys just say something?"  
  
"Nope..." was Misty's reply.  
  
"I didn't say anything..." Brock agreed.  
  
The girl brushed a wisp of hair from her face, annoyed. _I have come to challenge one of you three...and apparently Hat-boy here doesn't look very strong..._ she laughed, summoning a clear crystal orb from the air. _Go...show me which one of this trio is worthy enough for me to challenge._ With that, the crystal flew up above Ash's head, only displaying a red 'X' inside.  
  
"I guess I'm not dueling..." Ash sighed as he settled on the bench next to Maya.  
  
Misty glanced up to see the crystal hovering above her, also with a big red 'X' inside. "I guess I'm not the lucky opponent either." she sighed as she sat down next to Ash.  
  
"Then, then..." Brock was clearly getting excited. "Am I the one?" At this, he glanced up at the crystal hovering above him, which was flashing different colors and a green 'O' inside.  
  
_You have chosen wisely..._ the girl smiled.  
  
"Oh, if only I knew your name..." Brock mused. "We'd be a peach of a pair!" Just then, Misty and Ash heard a POOF!!! from the floor.  
  
"What hap--" Ash started, but soon burst out laughing when he noticed Brock was now clad in a peach costume, complete with a stem and leaves hanging from his head. "Feeling peachy now, Brock?" he taunted.  
  
"You stay out of this..." Brock grumbled as he stumbled about in the bulky costume.  
  
"Actually, he'd look cuter as a pear..." Misty laughed. At this, another POOF!!! came from the floor--leaving Brock as a pear.  
  
"No...he needs something more appealing..." Ash suggested.  
  
POOF!!! Brock was now transformed into a banana.  
  
"Better idea, he's more of the apple of our eyes!" Misty suggested.  
  
POOF!!! Now Brock was an apple....  
  
"Nah...he's more like a raisin for love!" Maya suggested.  
  
POOF!!! Brock was now a raisin...  
  
"Can you guys just pick a fruit and stay with it? Or turn me back to normal?" Brock protested.  
  
_All right, that's enough...._ the girl interrupted, returning Brock to normal. _We have business to take care of..._ With that, she teleported everyone away towards an empty arena...

---------  
Ash watched as the deck information and stats appeared on the screen RUBY MYSTERY??? SAPPHIRE ROCK STORM RUBY 3 3 4 53 220 SAPPHIRE 4 2 4 53 170 "Wow...That was fast!"  
  
"Her Psychic power arranged all the cards on both sides." Maya explained as the coin went up...and landed on heads.  
  
"Sapphire plays first!" called the ref. "And begin!"  
  
_I shall open with my personal favorite...Beldum!_ With that, a Beldum floated into the arena.  
  
"Go for it, Vulpix!" Brock commanded as a Vulpix romped into the arena.  
  
"Sapphire's turn!"  
  
"Vulpix, Hypnotic Gaze!" Brock commanded. The Vulpix's eyes began swirling in a strange green pattern, making the Beldum's eye flutter, then close, as it slumped to the arena floor.  
  
"Ruby's turn!"  
  
_Awaken, Beldum..._ With that, an Awakening card fell onto the Ruby platform, jolting the Beldum awake. _Metal Ball, now!_ The Beldum formed a small metal ball, then threw it at the Vulpix. Brock's HP went down by 10  
  
"Sapphire's turn!"  
  
"Vulpix, Fire Ring with Pluspower!" Brock called as he attached a Pluspower to his Vulpix, smiling confidently as the Beldum was encircled in fire, defeating it and dropping his opponent's HP by 50. A second ring formed on the Ruby bench, damaging a card by 20.   
  
"Ruby's turn!"  
  
_Well, aren't you clever?_ the girl giggled. _For my next card, I choose...Gastly_ At this, a Gastly flew into the arena and stealthily eyed the tiny Vulpix. _Use your Hypnosis and turn my opponent's strategy against him!i The Gastly obedently stared menancingly at the Vulpix, making it slump to the floor, asleep...  
_

_---------  
"Wow...I never knew this girl had such great cards!" Misty smiled.  
  
"Beldum is considered to be one of the strongest non-Legendary Pokemon availiable..." Maya began as she pulled up the card's profile. "In fact, many duelists want to have its final form, Metagross..."  
  
"Maybe Brock might get a Metagross if he wins!" Ash cried as he watched Brock place a Ninetales lv. 64 in the arena, making a Ninetales appear in the Vulpix's place.  
  
"Brock may do just that with his Ninetales..." Maya laughed. "It's Fire Blast attack can do 100 damage!" She was about to say more when she saw the Ninetales breathe a blast of fire that formed into the Mew character 'hi', defeating the Gastly! An ember singed an extra card, dropping the HP by 10.  
  
"Way to go, Brock!" Misty cheered....  
_

_---------  
"Ruby's turn!"  
  
Go, Skarmory! Show him your true power!_ The Skarmory fired a barrage of metal feathers at the Ninetales, dropping Brock's HP by 50 to 150.  
  
"Sapphire's turn!"  
  
"Ninetales, Fire Blast!" The 'hi' of fire proved to be too much for the Skarmory to handle, so it fell, defeated. The recoil also exhausted the benched Pokemon, defeating it too!  
  
"Game Set!" called the ref to the cheering crowd. "Sapphire wins!"

---------  
"Well done!" Maya smiled as Brock flashed the Marsh Crest to the crowd. "Now only two Crests remain!"  
  
The girl just smiled at the group. "Well done, all of you...you have shown me you have the skills and the strength necessary to claim the Legendary Cards...I leave you with Her blessings and the hope in knowing you are true champions!" With that, she disappeared into the crowd...  
  
Ash grinned. "I guess you were worthy enough to let her speak..."  
  
"Whatever her blessing was...I hope her prophecy comes true." Brock laughed. "and I'll certainly never forget her...even if she tried to turn me into a fruit!" Everyone laughed at this as they departed the arena.  
  
With two Crests remaining, can the Pokepals survive? Find out!


	34. The Heart of the Cards, part 34: Dancing...

_Last time, on "Pokemon: The Heart of the Cards...  
  
The Pokepals meet up with their strangest opponent yet: a young girl gifted with strong psychic power. Although most people are attracted by her ornate clothing, the one thing that puzzles our heroes is her self taken vow of silence...she will only speak to those she deems worthy enough to speak to.  
  
However, she isn't interested in Ash's naivete or Misty's spirit...instead, she is drawn to Brock's firey passion and deep wisdom; and after a hard fought duel for the Marsh Crest, she finds Brock's skill great enough to warrant spoken words--a blessing that may carry them through the semifinals....and maybe the Legendary Cards!  
  
What awaits our heroes today? Find out!_  
  
The Heart of the Cards, part 34: Dancing By the Dream River  
  
"Good morning, all!" Maya smiled as she entered the room, where the group was busy getting dressed.  
  
"Mornin'..." Brock called from the stove, where he was tending to a skillet full of simmering bacon. "Got any plans for us today?"  
  
"Well, as far as I know, you guys have no challenges--" Maya started, when she heard some noisy clacking coming down the hall. "What's that noise?"  
  
"Sounds to me like Ash has been dancing..." Brock replied as Ash walked into the center of the room, set a small tape deck nearby the couch, and loaded a tape inside. "What are you dancing to?"  
  
"A song I found...it's called the 'Dream River Set'." Ash replied as he knelt down to stretch his legs. "When I took dancing lessons, that was one of the sets we often danced to...and I'm amazed that I still remember the steps to the dance after all this time!"  
  
"A set, you say?" Maya was interested. "What tunes are in it? What kinds of dances are they? How do you do them?"...  
  
"Easy, Maya...I can only answer one question at a time!" Ash laughed. "The 'Dream River Set' has three tunes in it, all reels: 'The Torchic's Fire'; 'The Road to Celadon', and the title reel, 'The Dream River's Reel'..."  
  
"What's a reel?" Misty asked as she came down the hall and settled before the table. "I'm not that well versed in types of dances..."  
  
"Okay...I'll try to explain it as simply as I can..." Ash assured Misty as he sat on the floor, waiting for his tape to rewind. "Basically, a reel is a dance tune usually played in a moderate 4-4 time..."  
  
"That's four beats to the measure, right?" Misty asked. "Like counting 'one, two, three, four'? Or is that a polka?...no wait, maybe that's a waltz..."  
  
"No, a polka goes 'one-and-two-and-one-and-two-and...' Brock explained as he shut the stove off and began cleaning the skillet. "and a waltz is counted in threes, like 'one-two-three, one-two-three'...in 4-4 time, you're counting 'one, two, three, four; one, two, three, four....'"  
  
"Right...thanks, Brock..." Ash replied. "The tune, on the other hand, is divided up into two sections: an 'A' section and a 'B' section..."  
  
"Huh?" Misty was even more confused. "I know songs are divided into parts, but sections?"  
  
"Look at it this way..." Brock began as he found a space on the couch and got comfortable. "You know how in most songs, there's verses and a chorus?"  
  
"Yeah..." Misty replied. "Your point?"  
  
"The verse is the 'A' section, and the chorus is the 'B' section, so the form of the song is 'ABAB'" Brock explained. "Got it now?"  
  
"Oh, okay..." Misty giggled. "I must not have been paying attention in music class when I was little!"  
  
"However..." Ash concluded, "Both sections repeat twice, so you're hearing the form of 'AABB'. Some reels even have C and D sections." He was about to say more when he heard a CLACK! from the tape deck. "I think my tape's ready..." Everyone watched as Ash pressed 'PLAY', walked out in the middle of the floor, and struck a pose.  
  
"Pika pi..." Pikachu watched intently from the coffee table. However, he was caught off guard by a sudden blast of music from the tape deck, sending him tumbling to the floor below.  
  
"Did that scare you?" Misty giggled as she stopped watching Ash's leaping and jumping long enough to cradle Pikachu in her arms. Pikachu just smiled, mesmerized by all the twirling, jumping, and stomping Ash was doing, his shoes clicking a hypnotic rhythm to the beat...  
  
CENTER---------/CENTER  
  
"Wow...weren't those shows amazing?" Misty smiled.  
  
"Actually, I think Pikachu liked Ash's dancing more..." Brock commented, gesturing to Ash, who was still stomping and jumping on the living room floor.  
  
"He wowed the crowd, didn't he, Maya?" Michael laughed as he settled on the couch to watch Ash's second performance.  
  
"I'm amazed he can even pull off moves like that!" Maya replied as she opened the window. No sooner had she said that, did a tennis ball come flying in the room!  
  
"What the?" Misty was confused. "What's a tennis ball doing in here?"  
  
"What tennis ball?" Ash walked in the room and removed his dance shoes, curious as to what was going on.  
  
"The one that came flying in the window just now...." Maya explained, gesturing to the ball lying in the center of the floor.  
  
Pikachu then noticed a tiny slip of paper dangling from the ball. "Pikapi! Pika chu!"  
  
"A note?" Ash was curious. "What does it say?"  
  
"I'll read it..." With that, Brock carefully untied the paper and unfolded it, periodically smoothing out the wrinkles. "Let's see...it says:  
  
_Hey!  
  
Saw your dancing out on the square today...and needless to say, you're quite good, but not as good as I, Gary the Magnificent!...._"  
  
"WHAT???" Misty gasped.  
  
Ash groaned. "And I thought Gary bothered me enough in the arena...what does he want?"  
  
"And furthermore, why is he calling himself 'The Magnificent' all of a sudden?" Misty agreed.  
  
"Hey, calm down, you guys, let me read the rest of it!" Brock assured the others, then turned his attention back to the note. "Let's see here..."  
  
_if you want to prove to me that you're the greatest performer, then I give you the honor of performing with yours truly. Meet at the Arts Center tonight for the ultimate challenge!_  
  
Signed, Gary." With that, he crumpled up the paper and threw it in the trash. "Well, Ash, start stretching..."  
  
"I know..." Ash sighed as he knelt back on the floor and began stretching again. "This time, I'm going to pull out all the stops and expose Gary for who he really is!"  
  
"He does have many talents..." Maya sighed, "and he knows how to use them well...the problem is that his ego gets in the way too often, and because of that, he often winds up flat on his face..." With that thought in mind, she ran upstairs and brought down the rest of Ash's dancing gear. "You don't mind if we are your stage managers, do you Ash?" she asked as she began gathering up pairs of dancing shoes, various costumes, and several top hats and putting them in a blue bag with a gold star in the center.  
  
"It's okay..." Ash replied as he walked off to the bathroom. "I appriciate the help though..."  
  
---------  
  
_That night..._  
  
"Here you are, sir!" a cabbie replied as he pulled up to the curb before the Titian Arts Center.  
  
Gary stepped out of the cab with his gear and yawned, refreshed from the ride. "How much, my good sir?" he asked as he reached for his wallet and searched for some change to pay his fare.  
  
The cabbie thought for a moment, then replied "Your total comes to 200 credits for a 45 minute trip."  
  
"Two hundred credits?" Gary smiled as he handed some 100 credit bills over to the cabbie. "By all means, take three hundred as my little thank you for the prompt service...besides, consider that you've had the honor of transporting one of the rising stars of Pallet Town tonight!"  
  
The cabbie just laughed and prepared to drive off. "At any rate, thanks for the tip, and have a good evening, sir." With that, he sped off into the traffic.  
  
Gary just smirked as he approached the entrance to the arts center. "Laugh all you like, but the marquee doesn't lie! For I am Gary Oak, star of the show!" He proudly glanced up at the glittering marquee... but did a double take when he noticed that it read "Show Tonite: Starring ASH KETCHUM And Gary Oak" Ash's name was glittering in shiny rainbow colors, but Gary's only shone a soft, golden yellow. "WHAT!!!! My rival's name over mine???"  
  
"What's the matter, Gary?" Karina, one of Gary's cheerleaders, asked as she walked out to the curb. "Is everything okay?"  
  
"No everything's not okay..." Gary sighed, dejected and angered. "See how my rival's name is in the special glittery letters and my name's in the boring gold letters?"  
  
"What's so bad about that?" Karina asked as she escorted Gary inside.  
  
"I want MY name in the rainbow shiny letters!" Gary replied, frustrated. "I'm the star, and you know it!"  
  
"Gary, Gary, going far! He's our little superstar!" chanted the other cheerleaders as Gary trudged inside.  
  
---------  
  
"Here we are, Pikachu!" Ash laughed as he opened the silver door with the star on the front. "This is the room where the star gets ready!"  
  
"Pika pika!" Pikachu giggled as he handed over Ash's dance shoes.  
  
"Do we have everything for the show?" Ash asked Misty.  
  
"Don't look at me..." Misty replied as she set out Ash's dancing gear. "Brock's the one with the checklist..."  
  
"Then, let's go over it really quick, just to be sure." With that, Brock reached for the list and looked over the items. "Costumes?"  
  
"Check!" Maya replied as she laid a pile of different costumes on a nearby cot.  
  
"Hats?" Brock read off the next item.  
  
"Check!" Misty replied as she laid out the differently colored top hats in a row on a small table.  
  
"I pick the red one..." Ash interrupted as he took the red top hat and the matching costume, then ducked behind a screen in the corner to change.  
  
Brock was about to read off the next item when he heard a door slam, followed by footsteps. "What was that?"  
  
"Sounds like Gary's here...and he's pretty steamed." Maya replied. Sure enough, the group heard Gary's ranting coming from the manager's office. "Oh yeah? Well, Ash couldn't draw Venonats even if he were covered in syrup!"  
  
"We'll see about that..." Misty giggled. Brock smiled in agreement.  
  
Just then, the office door opened, and the group heard Gary proclaim "Okay, this performance will prove I'm the star!" With that, he stormed down the hall in a huff.  
  
"What was that?" Ash asked as he emerged from the screen, now completely decked out in red.  
  
"Oh, Gary's just mad that he didn't get the sparkling rainbow letters on the marquee and you did." Misty replied.  
  
"Now, where were we..." Brock studied the checklist for a moment, then continued naming off items. "Shoes?"  
  
"Pika!" Pikachu replied, handing Ash his shoes.  
  
"Cane?" Brock replied.  
  
"Double check!" Maya replied, handing a black cane to Ash. Just then, she heard a loud "HMPH!" from the door, followed by the door across the hallway slamming. "I think that was Gary's opinion of you getting the starred door..."  
  
"You know how he is...has to prove he's the best at everything..." Michael sighed. "Ash, your Pokeflute and a few other things are in your prop box in the wings...I already brought it out there."  
  
"Thanks!" Ash replied as he checked his appearance in the mirror. "How do I look, you guys?"  
  
"Pika..." Pikachu was impressed.  
  
"You look handsome!" Maya agreed. Just then, the group heard more ranting coming from across the hall. "There can only be one explanation for white tile in a dressing room! And THAT'S it!"  
  
Michael sighed. "Calm down, Gary...Ash is the star, so get over it."  
  
"Really..." Misty grumbled, annoyed from all the complaining coming from the hallway.  
  
Just then a knock came at the door. "Five minutes, Sir Ketchum!"  
  
"Be right there!" Ash called back, then opened the door. "Wish me luck, you guys!"  
  
"Break a leg!" Brock smiled.  
  
Ash was puzzled. "That would affect my dancing!" he protested.  
  
"That's show biz talk for 'good luck'. Misty sighed as Ash disappeared into the wings...  
  
---------  
  
"Gary?" Ash stepped out into the wings, where Gary, clad in a blue outfit, was nervously glancing at the clock, counting down the minutes to show time. "You ready?"  
  
"I guess..." Gary sighed. "One thing, try not to trip me up, please..."  
  
"I'll try, Gary..." Ash sighed, breathing deeply to rid himself of the Beautiflies that were fluttering in his stomach.  
  
Just then, Gary saw the clock flash 'IT'S SHOW TIME!' "We're on!" He lead Ash out to their places onstage to the cheers of the crowd. When the applause subsided, the band struck up a light, bouncy melody...  
  
The pair started by cross-stepping in place, then moved off towards the left, where they touched heels, then toes, to the floor, then took three steps back...heel, toe, and three steps back...then they paraded across the stage, kicking up their heels in time to the beat. Upon return to center stage, they did another set of cross-steps before dancing offstage. When they were done, the crowd applauded.  
  
Misty stood waiting for Ash backstage. "Great job!"  
  
"Go, Go, Gary, Go, Go!" cheered Gary's cheerleaders as Gary returned to his side of the wings.  
  
"Go on Ash!" Misty urged, lightly shoving Ash towards the stage entrance.  
  
"What?" Ash was confused.  
  
"Go out and take a bow, dance master!" Brock coaxed. With that, he watched as Ash stepped out before the crowd and took a sweeping bow, then returned to the wings.  
  
Maya smiled. "You're good at taking bows, you know that?..."  
  
Gary, however, was elated by the applause. "Boy, listen to that, girls! They love me!" He raced out on the stage to take a bow...only to be greeted by silence so quiet, you could hear the Nincadas chirping. _Some audience..._ he thought as he stormed backstage.  
  
Ash meanwhile, peeked out from the wings...and the crowd began to cheer again! Humbled by the applause, he took a second bow...only to have Gary block his exit. "Huh?"  
  
"I'm sick of people taking bows for my talent!" Gary grumbled. "Now, do your own dance! I challenge you! Dance, if you know what's good for you!"  
  
"Okay, okay..." and Ash did a quick step. "Shave and a haircut...two bits!" The audience cheered even louder!  
  
Gary was unimpressed. "Har-dee har har...if they liked that mess, then they've got the fever for some real hoofing! I'll show'em!" He motioned to the band. "Maestro, something with a feverish tempo, C major, shuffle feel..." The band obliged, and began playing a song Ash recognized as "Fever" from _Dr. Mario_!  
  
Misty watched as Gary twirled and jumped about the stage to the pounding beat. "He said the audience has a fever..."  
  
"How appropriate that the band played 'Fever'...since Gary's dancing like he has one!" Brock laughed. At this, Gary slid before the audience, eager for applause...only to be greeted by the chirping Nincadas again!  
  
"I don't think the audience has that fever..." Ash sighed...  
  
---------  
  
Ash watched from backstage as the lights came up on a table that read 'GARY and his Trained Pidgeys'. "Gary's stil trying to one up me?" he asked as he watched Gary set up various props: a tiny swimming pool, a Pidgey sized tightrope....  
  
"Knowing him, the Pidgeys are all going to fly out the balcony window right about..." Brock started, just in time to see Gary open the cage containing the Pidgeys. "...now..." Sure enough, the Pidgeys fluttered out of the cage, around the stage, and out the balcony window...Gary, befuddled by his mistake, tried to appease the audience by dancing a little--only to be the recipient of a tomato!  
  
"Hey, Ash, I have an idea..." Michael started, gesturing for Ash to come closer...  
  
"What?" Ash was curious...  
  
"Read up on these magic tricks...I've done them before, and they're crowd favorites...especially the "sawing a lady in half" one..." Michael whispered, offering a book with '100 FAVORITE MAGIC TRICKS' on the cover.  
  
"Ooh! I want to be sawed in half!" Misty cried.  
  
"Me too!" Maya agreed.  
  
"Hey, I can only do one of you, okay?" Ash began...but was unheard over the girls' begging.  
  
"All right..." and Brock dug a coin from his pocket. "Heads, Misty gets sawed; tails, Maya gets sawed..." The coin went up...and landed on heads!  
  
_YES!!!_ Misty thought to herself as Michael escorted her to the dressing room.  
  
---------  
  
"And now, here's Ash the Amazing!" proclaimed the announcer as Ash returned to the stage clad in magician's attire.  
  
"Thank you!" Ash called to the crowd. He then removed his hat and laid it on the table. "See? Nothing in there...now watch as I wave my wand and summon a Pokemon from it!" With that, he weaved the wand in circles over the hat and chanted: "Hocus pocus, slickety slam; a razzle-ma-taz, and Alakazam!" On 'Alakazam' a rainbow puff of smoke came from the hat, revealing Pikachu inside. "Pika pi!" he smiled, waving to the applauding crowd.  
  
"Ho hum...I've seen that act before..." Gary sighed from stage right.  
  
"Oh yeah?" Ash asked as he approached Gary and knelt down before his ear. "Are you sure you're getting your money's worth?" At this, he pulled a quarter from Gary's ear!  
  
"Boring..." was Gary's reply.  
  
"All right...for this next one, I'll need some help from my lovely assistant..." Ash smiled as Misty appeared from stage left in a flowing rainbow gown, causing some in the crowd to ooh and ah...even Gary was enraptured!  
  
"Yeah, she's pretty...but what's so nice about a pretty face like her?" Gary chided.  
  
"Glad you asked, my friend!" Ash replied. "She is the only known lady to survive the trial of the Dividing Box!" A spotlight came up on a seemingly normal box, save for spaces to accommodate a person's head and feet.  
  
Gary was dumbfounded. "You mean..."  
  
"Yes...when the box divides, so too will she divide." Ash mused as he paused to grab a fake saw lying in the wings. "Watch carefully...." he instructed Gary as Misty stepped inside the box.  
  
Gary watched, unimpressed as Ash began sawing the box. "I know how it works...Misty's all scrunched up in one end, and that's really a pair of fake feet on the other end..." The crowd paid no heed to his musings.  
  
"Ladies and gentlemen, a lady...divided!" Ash announced, gesturing to the two halves of the box to prove his point. The crowd applauded as Ash reassembled the box, allowing Misty to climb out in one piece...  
  
---------  
  
"Will someone please make him stop?" Maya sighed as she listened to Gary tell one bad joke after another. "He's so desprate to be the star..."  
  
"He wants to be the star, does he..." Misty grumbled as she grabbed a cream pie from the clutter of props. "I'll be glad to show him some stars!" With that, she hurled the pie at Gary with a SPLUT!  
  
"Thank you..." the announcer sighed, relieved that someone had gotten Gary offstage.  
  
Ash peeked onstage, double checking to see if Gary was anywhere nearby...after assuring himself that Gary had disappeared, he stepped out onstage again. "Okay...now, since we were so rudely interrupted...fancy a solo?" The crowd cheered with excitement!...  
  
----------  
  
"Ash...playing a solo?" Gary snickered as he continued taping up the fingerholes to a Pokeflute. "Once Ash takes this instrument, it won't play a single note, no matter what fingering he tries or how hard he blows!" he chortled as he set the taped up Pokeflute in a place where Ash could find it, then slipped to the wings, eager to watch Ash attempt to play his booby trapped instrument.  
  
"For my first number, I'll play the air 'Season of Hope'. Ash began, nervously fingering the Pokeflute in his hands. "Maestro..." He waited as the strings started an ethereal drone, then began to play a soft and mournful melody...  
  
Gary couldn't believe his ears! "Funny...I thought I taped up all the fingerholes...so why is the Pokeflute still playable?" He pondered this question until he heard the cheers of the crowd...then, he grabbed a Pokeflute lying nearby and walked out onstage. "Ash...I'm sorry I've been trying to one up you all night...so can I take a crack at playing something?" he asked.  
  
"Sure..." Ash smiled, stepping aside to the wings as the band began another drone.  
  
"While you keep him busy, look what I found in the prop box!" Brock began, gesturing to a pair of stilts lying in a corner, gathering dust. "Want to try dancing in them?"  
  
"Yeah, after I watch Gary play..." Ash replied, giggling as Gary desperately blew into the instrument, trying to get a note from the Pokeflute.  
  
"He picked up his own boobytrapped instrument!" Maya laughed as Gary threw the instrument backstage and resumed telling half-baked jokes. "I can't wait to see the look on his face when he sees Ash towering over him."  
  
"Look onstage..." Brock whispered, gesturing to a shaking Gary looking up at Ash--who was now in an ornate rainbow costume, complete with a feathered mask; not to mention several feet taller than him!  
  
"Wha....Okay! I give! You're the star!" Gary screamed in panic as Ash whirled about to the beat of the music, amazingly keeping his balance atop the stilts. The crowd roared with laughter as Gary tried to make a beeline for the wings...only to get caught in the path of the giant Ash every time...  
  
---------  
  
"Ash, you're a genius!" Misty smiled as the group returned to the room later that night. "You should've seen the look on Gary's face!"  
  
"I know...too bad Brock didn't take a picture..." Ash replied as he tucked Pikachu in for the night. "Bet you didn't know I could dance on stilts, did you?"  
  
"Pika pika..." Pikachu smiled, then pulled up his covers.  
  
"Okay, guys...the seventh round is tomorrow, so rest well tonight..." Maya cautioned as she turned to leave.  
  
"Night, Maya..." the group called back as they got ready for bed...  
  
What awaits the Pokepals in the next round? Find out!


End file.
